Home Brand vs Named Brand

GK31610191

I prefer to buy home brands now. They are cheaper no double but as good as brand ones. I have tried both and couldn't find the difference. Same thing applied to generic brand medicine. Pharmacist always say there is no difference just different name. We all I think, buy generic brand medicine. Are we?

D_D

Most of the time they taste fine but have more sugar and oil added than brand products - just go to Aldi and you'll see that most of their stuff is full of 'fillers'. e.g. a brand jam might be 50% fruit, off brand might be 30% fruit, for example. They might match in taste but rarely in nutrition. Exceptions are one ingredient products, such as flour, milk, sugar.

21Teens

Oh How I LOVE ALDI Homebrand names. They are the BEST. Eg Nutragrain becomes POWER Grain, Picnic (I think) becomes ROAR, Kit Kat becomes BreakTime and the list goes on. The packaging is similar in colours and I laugh and laugh at the wonder of how they can get away with taking a product and copying it oh so well. Yes I LOVE Home Brands. My house is full of them!

Mitchell32063813

Home brands: great for basics eg sugar and flour but when it comes to things with flavour, brand names usually have a higher quality. I do miss the home brand scotch finger biscuits

TaylorCS

I used to love getting Black & Gold lollies from the shops! Now I see them less and less in my local area, mostly in IGA stores if I do spot them. Jersey caramels and chocolate covered nuts are a favourite I'd like back.

Arul32054769

Yep . As a student on a tight budget i got the only option to buy these home brands. Moreover, the products in which brand doesnt matter ,like garbage bags and stuff u should buy these home brand product .

Guzzler

I give the home brands a go in some cases. Pasta is usually fine(but Barilla is absolute best), tuna is good & way cheaper. Never EVER buy home brand minced/crushed garlic. Just horrible for some reason(black & gold anyway)

Caz67

There is alot of home brands that I use and you can still get them in the brand names. I find the store brands are alot cheaper. They are just as good if not not better than the brand names

avabiki

I love to support name brands when they are Australian owned and manufactured but sometimes price is a real concern. I am happy to try a home brand and if it's good will keep using it. Some name brands have changed their formulas over the years and not in a good way so switching to a home brand is a real alternative.. Aldi has also allowed us to try other options and a lot of their products are better than the ones I am used to. I think experimenting with different products is healthy but I know that we all have our favourites that we don't ever compromise on.

Ashish46

I prefer buying branded products bwcause of trust for quality for their price. If in complete necessity, I buy home brand otherwise buy the branded product while on discount or if there is not significant diffrence in price. I had heard from a good packing staff that the products are same its just the packaging are different. The insides are same and are exported from same packers. Still, may be the outer fancy packaging has created a quality stigma.

Renae1985

Some of the home brand products are just as good as named brand products. For example, the no name pies contain more mince meat then the brand name pies

chickenman

most home brand products are as good as branded products. in many cases one pays for the brand more than the quality of the product, but it is also true that not always easy to find accurately where the products are made/ produced.

Emily31977773

I'd say I'm ok with about 50-60% of home brands. My main issues are cheap ingredients and focusing on quantity over quality for a lot of home brand products, but if you're on a budget they can be good because they are often cheaper. For some substitutes of more well-known brands, like cereals and biscuits, I generally prefer the originals because I'm used to the taste and am generally more willing to pay a little more for my own enjoyment, but for staples where I just need something like butter or milk, I'd rather home brand based on price.

rebelno

Lots of homemade products in store now and some of my family favourites aren't. Homebrand products are usually cheaper and the quantity of most are as good as the named brands with a few exceptions. I have been shopping generic products since I was a teenager earning my own pocket money I was a savvy kid and wanted save money so when buying treats I would be bargain hunting lol. There are less and less brand names on the shelves but I have really noticed brands that left the shelves over the decades but there aren't any that I really miss.

Sabikun1998

Home brand. I am more into home than named one.

priscilla

I didn’t choose special home bands ,because I usually busy for working when i shop my nearest place and choose what I need,most of the time I decide to purchase cheaper and delicious food

Darren31985665

So sad the supermarkets drop brands to use home brands for their own profits and to the detriment of the suppliers they drop, some of my favourite brands disappear so regularly that I stopped shopping at my local supermarket

Lara31243784

Some of the home brand products are good, some really awful. Like the Woolies detergent for example. But I haven’t tried too many because I only buy them, or even go to Coles and Woolies when I can’t afford something better. Never for fruit and veg. I generally shop at smaller stores or make sure to buy Australian, and/or small companies.

diadia2

I personally would prefer named brands in general but sometimes, some of the home brands are really good. E.g. Coles Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies, nothing beats this in my opinion and worth every cent. For certain brands like toilet paper and cream cheese, I still prefer to buy named brands due to their trusted names.

woosh

Hi
I’m trying to find somewhere to ask questions about navigating the ap and there doesn’t seem to be any info anywhere.
Can someone point me in the right direction. Sorry if this is off topic

elsp

Home brands put money in the pocket of the big supermarkets. Name brands spread the wealth and help out other businesses. Home brands are just the supermarkets being greedy. No always but sometimes at a lesser quality of product for the same cost. I won't buy home brand.

jjdrer

Kleenex brand products are made in Millicent in SA. Another brand of toilet paper is made in Qld. The Generic Brands of all products are made by major manufacturers and put in the cheap labelled packaging (e,g. Home Brand - Woolworths has the naming rights to that......Coles have another brand.......there is also Foodland, Drake, IGA, Kirkland who are other Generic Brands. Sometimes they are the end of the batch manufactured that day. I used to know which company manufactured those products until I left the company who distributed some of them. They used to be on the same invoices as the company manufactured packed in their own labelled packaging. I worked for one company for 40 + years.

Ashar

Bouquet scented toilet paper used to be available at IGA but it is not any longer nor at any other supermarket that I can find. I avoid buying home brands altogether the supermarkets have too much market share as it is.

ventnorgirl

cannot find mushy peas in Coles/woollies.Coles had pouches once

pothum

used to buy Toffutti which was a cream cheese substitue with no dairy from Coles. Unfortunately it is not available now and nothing on the shelves comes even close for eating or cooking.

Ruskie30748487

Usually find not much difference. But lately, noticing my usual home brands gone from shelves due to people stocking up I had to buy a name brand. No difference to my usual cheaper home brands.

peter-cook

some are good / some are crap

wendel

Many of the home brands are as good as named brands. Named brand really have to lift their game now.

3lions

Sorry I can't seem to be able to start a new discussion.
I'm trying to find out if Costco sells boxes of diet coke cans?
Woolworths thanks in advance

mcgore

Personally, I try to buy named brands, rather than home brand products, in order to encourage containing choice in stores. I suspect that if the name brands aren’t supported, the stores have ammunition to cease stocking them, and from a production point, it’s obvious that the home brand products can offer better margin on sale, so why not fill the store with their own range?

morgan31981242

I almost always buy house brand. If it is food or medicine I just compare ingredients. As far as products go I will always try out the house brand and if it doesnt work for me i will go back to what i was using.

Jasmine31980989

Depending on the store/ company, home brands are usually cheap for what you get and a lot of the time they are a lot healthier in comparison as they don’t have a lot of the preservatives in them.

Jezemeg8

If one takes the time to read the labels on Home brand products it's amazing how many times they are made in exactly the same factories as the name brands! I've found virtually no difference between the two, and those to whom I serve them don't pick that they're eating a 'home brand' product either!! It's only when they actually see the container from which I get the product and see that it's home brand (or private label as the supermarkets are now trying to improve it's image) that they make any comment re quality.
I've not noticed any products disappearing but then I make a list before going shopping and only go down the aisles where the items on my list are found.

Ruskie30748487

My wife does most of the shopping and purchases a lot of Aldi products and home brand products, they seem good quality and a lot cheaper than named brands.

wendel

A lot of the home brands are nearly as good as named brands to me. The price is much cheaper for home brands too.

dmabiz

The original strategy for "Home Brands" was to cater for the "lower"end of the market. Today, most home brands are designed to encourage the consumer to shop at that particular supermarket. Ie It is now a quality product, usually made to very similar specifications as "branded" products by the producers of the "branded" products. "Home Brands" are now the brand of the retailer. It wants you to prefer its brand and thus prefer to shop at its store. No need to hanker, same product, different packaging!

bj

I buy some home brands after checking country of origin.I notice that some of the poorer countries have items in the home brands. While we may not like the idea, buying does help that country with jobs, although many are living below the poverty line. It is a tricky decision to make.

sheena

What happened to Foster clarks egg custard mix?, and still waiting for Pollywaffle.
I buy home brand gladwrap, bin liners and sugar. Generally all things not made up are ok.
But I always try out first.

DAWN31952201

I think home brands are almost same as named brand
Food items for baking such as flour sugar etc
But I would still want to have named brand once in a while

Sharelle31951583

I find most home brands useable, however lack quality and taste. I tend to buy non-generic brands in bulk when they're on sale to save money.

Leejong

Depends on what it is. I find home brands to be good when buying food if you are a restrictive diet whether it be due to allergens or by choice. They don’t tend to include to many ingredients, the cost of making and buying the foods is lesser.

Lis77

I will buy and test a home brand, if the product is made and packaged in Australia, otherwise I will get the more expensive option. Although, the more expensive option sometimes is only a few cents more. Such as edgell tinned corn is only 10c more than the Coles home brand option, and the Coles home brand corn isn’t Australian product. Rice crackers, again 10c difference between branded and home brand

chloe31944865

Home brands are a lot cheaper for the quantity and the quality that you receive. Personally, I do not think there is a difference between buying home brand and commercial in terms of taste, and buy home brand where I can to save money. For example Coles brand pasta is less than $1 which beats paying $4 for the same amount as a brand name. The only thing that sways me into buying brands is their ethical and sustainability sourcing. Consumers have such a wide access to knowledge about where their products are from that they are becoming smart shoppers, to make a difference. For example, I recently discovered that cocoa is sourced from places such as Ghana where the farmers receive little money. I did my research and found that Cadbury promotes ethically sourced chocolate, so I now only buy Cadbury.

Stephen31639593

I tend to try home brands (including Aldi's offerings) to see if they are acceptable or not.
Most supermarkets have half price specials and I take advantage of those whenever possible - brand names at home brand prices.

chickenman

most home brand items are just as good as branded items, but not all. one mostly unforeseen problem with cheaper home brand products is that they reduce the sales of branded products and the affect it has on companies.

winemac

I am not generally enthused by store branded products in supermarkets but a few months back I bought some Potato Crisps which were a Woolies brand & they were just my cup of tea, so to speak. Lo & behold, they no longer exist in the Goolwa, S.A. Woolies. All we are offered are the usual brands, Red Rock etc. The Woolies brand were much cheaper than the branded products so I wonder what happened in this case?

jjdrer

White Wings products are no longer available in some stores. GENERIC brands (HomeBrand name is used by Woolworths) are made by major well known manufacturers. However the % ratio of some ingredients may vary a bit

ellabella

I find a lot of the homebrand brands are not as good .

hools

I often but homebrand,savings brand or black and gold products and even though I have fussy eaters in the house all the unbranded products work well for me, also they work within a tight budget

Ashar

I used to be able to buy Bouquet scented toilet paper at IGA and Pantalica cream cheese spread in Coles but for some reason they don't stock it anymore. I don't like supermarket home branded items at all even if they are cheaper the quality is not as good as normal brands and most of them are imported.

Judy31662305

I have stopped going to Aldi as they no longer sell recycled toilet paper.

betty

Yes some brands have disappeared and home brands are not the best most of the times, would be nice that there is no change in good products and you can also cheaper brands there two choices to pick.

RyleyCrabbe

99.99% of homebrands are just as good as the real thing! The other 0.01% of homebrands are rubbish and only the namebrand should be bought

RyleyCrabbe

99.99% of homebrands are just as good as the real thing! The other 0.01% of homebrands are rubbish and only the namebrand should be bought

Emories

Name brand is usually healthier for you and tastes better

rap

Some home brands are as good as the originals and some are not - you have to try then know which to continue to use.

katalin

Home brand represent to me products for example tinned fruit versus brand name.There can be a slight difference between a perfect peach to slightly bruised one ,the brand name would pick the close to perfect while the other doesn't reject slightly imperfect.My choice can depend on the quality and taste so l would be choosing brand name .l also believe many home brand products have improved over the years .l do occasionally buy home brand.

Jojo1

I find home brand is just as good as named brand I like the quality of the products.

samplekat

I have tried home brands and now only buy paper products. There are reasons home brand products are cheaper. I found that they really do contain mire salt, fat and sugar than name brands. Also, who do you phone to inform if there is a product defect? Companies are grateful and while my aim us to let them know they usually send you something. What fo supermarkets do? They jysy give you your money back and nothing is done except if it us so bad it makes the news. So only name brands for me.

samplekat

I have tried home brands and now only buy paper products. There are reasons home brand products are cheaper. I found that they really do contain mire salt, fat and sugar than name brands. Also, who do you phone to inform if there is a product defect? Companies are grateful and while my aim us to let them know they usually send you something. What fo supermarkets do? They jysy give you your money back and nothing is done except if it us so bad it makes the news. So only name brands for me.

samplekat

I have tried home brands and now only buy paper products. There are reasons home brand products are cheaper. I found that they really do contain mire salt, fat and sugar than name brands. Also, who do you phone to inform if there is a product defect? Companies are grateful and while my aim us to let them know they usually send you something. What fo supermarkets do? They jysy give you your money back and nothing is done except if it us so bad it makes the news. So only name brands for me.

Dan31642406

I really think home branded ice cream and chocolate is the pits. You can just taste that it’s not the quality for the price. As for home products like cleaning products and similar, I don’t notice the difference. I avoid any food related if it’s a home brand.

coll1122

I use to buy all the cheap brands but they have either disappeared or put on higher shelves away from where your eyes tend to look. I think they taste just as good as big brands but save your hip pocket which is a big bonus in my house.

Adzzy

I alwaysgo the hlme brands. They are the same product just in a different box!

Jana31638125

Yes, supermarkets regularly get rid of items i like. Home brand is not as good as the proper brand, as they use cheaper/watered down ingredients because they ask the companies to make these items cheaper, so the supermarket can sell them cheaper. (why would the the brand companies use the same quality in the home brand lines they are asked to produce by supermarkets, when they are getting payed way less for them?) I think a lot of the frozen "home" brand produce etc also has minimum standards for where it comes from, one wouldn't know- it doesn't necessarily come from Australian Agriculture.

Gartene

Of course there is a difference. Home brands are not just to save the customer money but more importantly they are there to make the company more money

Jana31638125

Of course there is a difference. Home brands are not just to save the customer money but more importantly they are there to make the company more money

Exactly, at the expense of the branded companies factory use to produce the home brand items.

Gartene

Of course there is a difference. Home brands are not just to save the customer money but more importantly they are there to make the company more money

Nikhil

I try some the home brands. One reason of course is cheaper price. However the quality matters and if the expected quality is not there I would not return to that.
While cheaper price attracts attention I always check if the ingredients are locally sourced.
If any home brand is made out of 100% imported ingredients I would be reluctant to buy that

craigjay

I am not sure about this but what has completely disappeared from Australian shelves Australian tuna. Not one product on the shelf I caught and canned in Australia anymore, and we should be ashamed

Greg31633752

There are some home brands that are close to name brands but there are some that you can tell use less superior ingredients or verisons of ingredients and that effects the final taste of these products

kay62

some home brands are ok

Salvatore11

home brands'? Are they just as good as the named brands,

Christopher Cheung

Homebrands are often different takes on the Named Brands, shining through their slightly different flavour, texture or ingredients. However it is often most economical for one to buy Homebrands if they are in a financially tight position (i.e. students). Generally though, it is up to personal tsste whether one prefers one of the brands or can bear the cheaper one.

Ashar

Yes many of my favourite brands I have to go looking for as the supermarket chooses not to stock it. eg Pantalica cream cheese spread,Bouquet scented toilet paper, Orange Power, Bosistos laundry powder,Top Taste cakes and many others. Home brands may be cheaper but they are of inferior quality and mostly imported from overseas.. I'd like to see Clinic blue shampoo brought back.

Jibsta

I like a rice a bubbles

hrdwrk2008

Some home brand products are as good or even better than major brands. It's purely subjective, out perception is influenced by all out senses, particularly sight.

I tend to base my choices on taste. Often I will try new products and judge them accordingly.

That's not to say brand loyalty and memories of childhood favorites don't have any bearing on my decision, or that of the origin of the product.

For me, it's all in the taste buds and value for money also plays a part in the purchase of non luxury items.

Bon appetit

Mona31584416

I genuinely believe that some home brand products are better than named brands especially the Woolworths Home Bran Condensed milk, I would prefer it over the branded candensed milk anyday, in saying that, I would prefer branded beverages and frozen items such as ice cream.

rizzyrozzy

It depends what it is home brand rice bubbles aren't as nice as the Kellogg's rice bubbles on the other hand Weetabix home brand and the normal brand taste the same to me

Phil31610092

Home brand all the way when it comes to perishables. Can’t warrant the extra cost for the little difference in taste

bubblymaria

to be honest some items taste better and some items my kids will only eat homebrand,
Some items I would not consider homeband, but generally most I/ve compared haven't been too bad
and if we can save some money and get some treats thats a win win for me

CJ_Syd

Sometimes they are just as good if not better than the name brand. Often they are cheaper and not made in Australia. I tend to buy Australian made mostly but if it’s not available I will buy no name brand especially if I’m desperate.

happybabe

Rice bubble kelpox

powerchick

Some home brands are excellent value and great quality, others like most tea bags, gravy mixes and custard powders are so weak or plumped up with fillers that you need to use twice as much to achieve the same results as named brands. Hence, any perceived "saving" is negated by having to use more of the product.

samplekat

I very rarely buy home brand, mainly paper products. If a shop no longer has name brand I search elsewhere to find it or change to another name brand.

frilly

I used to buy Kraft Coleslaw dressing & i find it impossible to buy now. As my family grew up we ate an enormous amount of coleslaw.It was my job where’ve we went as a family I had to make the largest bowl of coleslaw you ever saw. I made it with a mixture of cabages, red, green, curly & straight Then everything went into it that I had in the fridge, the fruit bowl & the cupboards. This meant dried & fresh fruit & every type of vegetables that could be chopped up or grated finely. I know some one will now say you surely did not put (mxxxccd) in. I will say the kids trued if I didn’t.
I don’t know when it was taken off the shelves but I am so glad it was after I was taken off the Roster for family feasts, I never would have lived it down. No idea why they did either because the Praise Coleslaw dressing tastes oily, no one likes it & I was never prepared to carry a half filled bowl home.

Jethro

A few years ago l called in to see my BILaw who was manager for one of the largest food packaging and manufacturers in the country, he took me for a look at what the did and how it was done, They were packaging cake mixes and the like and the different makes on the boxes astounded me, there would have been 6 different makes going through the packaging process at the same time, from what he said the contents were all the same but the carton was the only difference, made me my good lady change our ideas on brands House brands are good enough for us these days

Mammabear

I often look for cheaper options (home brand) but have been caught out plenty of times with poor quality. I will not compromise on taste. If you save a few dollars buying home brand and the family refuse to eat it then it’s no savings at all. Things like rice bubbles and corn flakes are preferred for eating whilst their home brand counterparts are fine in baking!

Gloria Davey

Both

DEb

home brand is not as good as brand.

Littlelegs

There are some items such as sugar, flour , drinking straws that are no different in Home Brand to their more expensive big brand names. There are some items that actually taste better in Home Brand, such as peanut butter, which is only about half the price. There are some things though, that are totally inedible in the Home Brand range, I once bought Home Brand tinned stew, and the winner said it was awful. Everyone has their own taste though, and something I love they may absolutely hate and vice versa.

funny72

I only buy cleaning home brand products I find the food home brands are much different in flavour

Michael

I use both homebrands and labels. There is often not much difference. With specials sometimes Brand names can be cheaper during the period of the special compared to homebrands. Currently Coles & Woolworths have raised the price of their BBQ which I buy a lot from $7.90/$8 to $9 but Woollie upper brand and Lilydale bbq chickens have been lowered from $13 to $10. I have tried the $10 ones and there is a difference that I like. The hombrands had been $11 for along time with the occasional special at $7.50/$8. Lines on the shelves do alter with some brands not available at both supermarket stores. It is odd that there is a space on the shelf with a line out of stock or removed these days. A case in point though is Balfours Family Meat Pie that was $8 and on special from time to time at $5 or $4(dinner plate size). The last Woollies sale was $4 and I was prepared to buy a box(6 pies) but they were out of stock at my store during the sal and I got a raincheck which has now expired although they would have renewed it. But it turns out some stores did not actually stock it and all other I tried were out of stock and had a Angus pie available that was dearer. Now it turns out they are not stocking it anymore(my store had said it was a low seller in there, opposite my home) but I loved them with its potato topping and got several meals from them with other vegies etc. I have been in the grocery business with my own stores and sold lots of imported foods and foods from smaller Australian producers whose stock then was not sold in the majors.

Marian

Woodleigh Fields Green Apple shampoo was a terrific brand! No longer around unfortunately. Only shampoo that actually left your hair smelling good for days.

Bula Fiji

I don't buy anything originating, or containing ingredients from China. Seriously, this is a country with no food standards that saw Formica put in baby formula. They are buying up huge quantities of our baby formula because even they don't want to risk feeding their precious children their own products. Why would you risk eating anything that comes from countries with poor to no food regulation, flown half way around the world creating pollution and exhausting non-renewable fossil fuels, just to save a few cents. Our farmers are amongst the best in the world and they and their families are part of our community. If I can't find a brand produced in Australia from Australian ingredients I buy something else entirely. Buying home brand products supports Coles and woolworths in gaining enormous market power that enables them to exploit our farmers. My motto is buy a quality Australian product at a price that allows all levels of the supply chain to benefit proportionally. Ultimately driving Australian farmers to the wall will make us all worse off

Bula Fiji

I don't buy anything originating, or containing ingredients from China. Seriously, this is a country with no food standards that saw Formica put in baby formula. They are buying up huge quantities of our baby formula because even they don't want to risk feeding their precious children their own products. Why would you risk eating anything that comes from countries with poor to no food regulation, flown half way around the world creating pollution and exhausting non-renewable fossil fuels, just to save a few cents. Our farmers are amongst the best in the world and they and their families are part of our community. If I can't find a brand produced in Australia from Australian ingredients I buy something else entirely. Buying home brand products supports Coles and woolworths in gaining enormous market power that enables them to exploit our farmers. My motto is buy a quality Australian product at a price that allows all levels of the supply chain to benefit proportionally. Ultimately driving Australian farmers to the wall will make us all worse off

samplekat

There are so many that for most of my shopping I go to IGA. I buy so little in Woolies now.

bj

when I buy I try to read all labels, if a home brand is Aussie then it will go into the trolly to be sampled.
There are some countries I dont buy from. As I wonder how or what the quality is when they travel so far befor being on the shelf.

Emily31420192

Some home brands are just as good a named brands but that depends on the product your are purchasing

SallyanneDudley

In a biskit I’m devestated they were removed

Spaceytato

I personally believe some home brands give more value for money, and in many cases I've seen home brands with the exact same product as a named brand, only less expensive. I tend to go for named brands when it comes to things I'll be consuming alone, however if I need large quantities of something, I'll usually go for homebrands. Some do appear to be dodgy, but there are some that I do trustm

mulbs

Have been looking for Swisse 'Argan ' face oil, used to buy from Coles cannot seem to locate it any more, have never seen it in Woolies or IGA. Why is it when you find something you like it disappears?

Scarlett31399388

Most Coles and woolies branded stuff is very high quality - just as good as the originals

Lia31399458

just as goof

Jezemeg8

Actually if you read the labels you find that many home branded products come from the same place as the branded products. As a result any differences are purely imaginary the product differs only by the label affixed to it.

Mammabear

I LOVE brand names because I was brought up on them. You get very used to the taste! Having said that,I have no hesitation in using Aldi brand cereals in baking.

James31376989

I believe that whatever works for you is the way to go. 90% of the products I buy are name brand and I'm quite satisfied with them

Macca54

I do most of my shopping in Aldi and find that the quality of there home brands to be very good. It is priced lower than the "known" brands and very comparable on quality

Adzzy

Home brand is the same product just in a different box. At least in Aus it is. I deliver to many large processing plants and all i see is the packaging change the same product runs thru the machines

aussiejohn

Home brand is the same product just in a different box. At least in Aus it is. I deliver to many large processing plants and all i see is the packaging change the same product runs thru the...

Care to tell us exactly which brands you are talking about. This nonsense that home brands are brand names in a different box is a fallacy, and has been since year dot. Yet people still believe this rubbish. You obviously know nothing about the reality of home brands. In the case of Coles and Woolworths for example, they approach contract manufacturers along with brand manufacturers with a request for a product. The manufacturer will formulate a product for them to the supermarket's specification, produce samples etc, and what the price will be. If it is acceptable, and the supermarket can make a good margin on the product, it will go into production. People only think there is no difference between a brand and a home brand because they don't buy one of each and compare them side by side, for appearance, taste, etc. Go to the supermarket and look at jars of jam. If you cannot see the difference, then call in at the Optometrist on your way home and get your eyes tested. Also compare the list of ingredients on the boxes/packets/jars etc. The differences are glaringly obvious.

Rebekah 31364821

For everyday items like dishwashing liquid, some cereals, milk Etc. I prefer homebrand because there's really no difference + it's usually 1/4 the price. However, there are certain items that you can't substitute with homebrand like Pepsi, frozen chicken, chocolate, shampoo

DEBOCO

Paradise lite chocolate chip cookies; Bulla wildberry frozen yoghurt; Pauls extra light sour cream, Pauls extra lite cream; Ski delite yoghurt; Dairy Farmers Shape milk; Viva glass and mirror wipes; Viva stainless steel wipes, and dozens more all replaced by garbage Coles home brand which are absolute rubbish, they don't do the job, or taste anywhere near as good as the brand products. and work out to be much more expensive because you need twice as much to equal the performance. I want all thrse products back on the shelvex

Glynn 31372158

Love home brand its the samw stuff just yhe end off run stuff we buy alot off adi stuff .

David

Coles is a serious offender here. Choice has been reduced, my favourite lunch choice is gone(Tassal salmon and Quinoa) but worse the imported inferior competitor has had its price raised!! The Australian maker Tassel as a result has ceased manufacture of this range of products.

Phoenix45

Kraft Italian dressing free and no the replacement praise is no where near the original

Phoenix45

Kraft Italian dressing free and no the replacement praise is no where near the original

flo

I have found that none of the supermarkets around me carry Continental powder gravies any more and it is very disappointing as this has the best flavour

A_3_headed_monkey

I am cautious about buying homebrands, where a branded company has gone to the expense of developing a quality product, or respectable & ethical manufacturing processes. By buying home brand, you may get short term financial benefit, but will lose in the long term as brands become uncompetitive with the cheaper knock offs. Buy buying branded, you are not only buying the product, but investing in that company to continue producing it. Non branded or home brands have no loyalty to their supply chain, and will squeeze producers for the lowest cost, and then switch producers at a whim. As a result, there's no certainty that the product wont change from year to year in quality, as it may have changed source. I am not wealthy, and some compare prices on everything I buy to make ends meet. But I also factor in country of origin (try for Australian, if ethical for that product), minimal additives, local to my state if possible, minimal plastic packaging etc. There are many things to balance. I shop at Foodland, and find that if I do need to buy their non branded product, it is usually Australian sourced, unlike coles/woolworths/aldi. When money is tight, and often it is, I just become more critical of the "amount" I buy, rather than resorting to non branded.

Lee31358851

So many of my favourite items are no longer available - Curry Maggi 2 minute noodles, Milo flavoured porridge by Uncle Tobys, Morrocan tea bags (can't remember who made them). It seems that whatever my family really love suddenly goes out of stock! That being said, we buy a lot of home brand items in an attempt to cut spending.

glenny18

I have learnt who still stocks the products I want and go there, I don’t buy Home brands....

enzo

I'm OK with items such as water crackers,jam, ice cream and soft drinks in home brand but would not buy items such as nutella, chocolate and things like baked beans as I feel there is a bigger variance with quality in some items such as canned foods

Anne31348792

I find some home brand items are good some lack flavour in their products some of the cereals my children will refer the name brand option things like rice's pastas sauces I buy which are fine if it's home brand and the flavours good I will keep buying the product I switch to home brand to try different products sometimes but if it doesn't taste good or lacks in flavour I will go back to the name brand I used to buy no name flavoured tuna it was ok for a while then I switch he'd back it lacked flavour

stace41

Love most of the new Woolworths products actually. Especially the icecreams. So do my kids. I am usually a brand person.

Sarah31343874

Some homebrands aren't great. But most are ok and help save money

MazzyJ

Most home brands belong in the bin.
They are rubbish. I got some shredded coles brand low fat pizza cheese because it was the only one they had when I wanted some. Put it on a home made pizza. Got tbe pizza out the oven looking forward to a nice slice. Couldn't cut the cheese with a knife. Tried scissors couldn't dint it. I couldn't even pull it off the top so I could have pizza no cheese. I had to bin it. I wont buy that rubbish ever again

Lazydobes

I have tried the homebrand equivalent to my usual brand and have so far found them to be disappointing to the point I will travel to another store that does stock my brand of item.

Sophia31249918

Homebrands are actually the same as the named brands, but people trust the named brand as it specalises in their sort of food category. This thereful gains the trust of the customers as they believe the named brand focuses on making their products the finest

Jess90

Home brand for my family. Unless there is a really good deal on brand name. Flour bread all made in the same factory

Jayden30503488

In many cases brand name suppliers will supply for both their own brand and also the home brand of the stockist, such as Woolworths and Coles.

Annalise31163501

favourite home brand is definitely coles for sure, and it's really good. There's a few products where i need to buy the big brand, but other things, home brand all the way!!!

Annalise31163501

i actually love homebrands, especially the coles one, there is a few products where i have to buy the known brand, but for most things, home brand all the way!!!

auzie3136

Yes looklively, There are just so many brands disappearing from our Supermarkets and being replaced by unknown brands that it is hard to find your favourite brands. I really miss a lot of those brands that I have enjoyed over the years. Too many of the new brands have ingredients and flavours that either do not agree with me or the flavours are not as good as they used to be.

Anonymous

Lots of this stuff I saw only one or twice, I liked it, looked for more but they disappeared from shelves for ever!!!!

rhyannion31151324

Sometimes home brand is better but it will vary from each person I prefer to buy both name brand and home brand but it will vary on each product

Camin3D

I tend to rely on Home Brand because I'm a poor uni student. But having said that, I'd honestly probably still buy Home Brand even if I did have money!

AAR 777

This is completely NOT related to the topic.

But, i need help!

I keep trying to complete the surveys, but as soon as I get to the second question ("Asking who in your household works in the following: ...") and then click next. I get the following message:
"However, this survey is now full or due to your response(s) so far, the remaining questions are not relevant to you."

This happened to me 3 times in a row. Can anyone explain of what the cause may be or what i am doing wrong?

Anonymous

I'm on a budget so I usually buy the cheapest things possible. The quality maybe better in brand products but as a student it is not worth the extra money to sacrifice a few extra items for something that is 'better'. Although I do find that I crave certain brand names such as smiths and red rock deli. I find these are a lot tastier than the home brand chips and I will only buy brand names when it comes to chips although I don't buy them often.

bj

I try one every now and then.Some are better than the big brand.
If we talk frozen food most comes from the same factory, just different labels on different days.

spunky70

To be honest I mostly buy the cheaper brands, because I have been told they are made by the same company that brands come from. But the cheaper brands are usually not perfect shape or something like that. And buy putting it in cheaper wrapping they are not wasting any products and we get things cheaper

woolysmissus

Man, particularly Woolworths are discontinuing some of my preferred brands. Disappointing! I try some homebrands but find many are poorer quality. And to top it off, they are making these smaller in size and charging the same as they used to charge! I've stopped purchasing many of those on principle alone unless they have a good sale on them. Starting to just by basics, meat, veg, fruit and less of the easier quick meal options , sauces and such.

kaylanella

There's quite a few brands that are no longer available and Homebrands great iv had no problems and it is a lot cheaper but there coming out with new stuff all the time so I'm not fussed

super88

I've noticed some brands have gone missing from the shelves in Coles and Woollies.
Also some brands are now only available at one or the other.
Home brands are sometimes OK, but not all hit the same quality standard as name brands.
Aldi has a lot of different brands but the quality is fairly consistent across their product range.
The label on the product doesn't worry me much.
I'm always looking to save a dollar, but only buy a product once if the quality I'm looking for suffers.

DeeEmDee

It really depends on your palette. I've found that certain home brand products are a better quality product than the named brands. Majority of the time you are just paying for the brand/label.
Most brands these days aren't even made in the country and have been bought out by other countries that skimp on quality.
So in reality you're paying foreigners for mediocre quality foods.
I personally would pay extra for products that were grown or made in the country.

katiemariem

I find that Aldi's homebrand items are so much better than those you buy at Coles and Woolworths. It really frustrates me that Coles and Woolies have done away with stocking brands that a lot of people have grown up with and always used. Plus it's terrible for certain Australian-owned companies that were previously stocked there. The homebrand products they offer are often quite similar in price but are horrendous quality. I'm definitely an Aldi convert!

frannymanny

love home brand. I am very price driven

Brazza

There are that many home brands on the shelf these days it's getting harder to find the name brands that you used to buy, the Home brands are ok if you need to save money, however they are just profiting of the research of the name brands. When was the last time a Home brand came out with a NEW product, never, they wait until the name brand does all the research & development then come out with their own. We need to remember that there is a reason why we pay more for the name brands & that is they have put the money up for the research & development of the product, if it doesn't work, they are the ones that are out of pocket.
Please remember to support our Farmers by only buying Brand name Milk, home brands only pay the Farmers a very small amount for their Milk.

ZheHFang

Home brands are good for it is much cheaper with >95% similarity with other brands in the outside world. It has not much difference in terms of quality or taste as I have been experiencing those during my university life in Australia. Let's support home brands!

Goboy

Home brands are significantly cheaper than named brands and come with a satisfaction guarantee. That being said there are still some products were the home brand does not taste as good as the name brand. For instance Home brand pineapple which is imported from Indonesia is nowhere near as tasty as the Australian Pineapple but canned fruit from South Africa is much firmer and tastes just as good as the Australian fruit.

Huk

Were we do our shopping they have there brand and
other brands as well

chickenman

the main difference between "home" brand and "named" brands , is the price. but there are some lesser quality items in the mix.

mausy

Some home brand products are good, some are not, quality can be an issue.. Not really hankering for anything..

pjohnw

Totally converted to ALDI , do about 95% of our shopping there now , great quality , best prices , and with their new fresh approach their fruit and veg is now great , and far cheaper than COLES or WOOLWORTHS.

Sim1here

I believe home brands have been forced to get better and more competitive over the years especially with the introduction of Aldi over like the last 15years. Though when saying that we need the brands to continue otherwise where do the true new ideas come from?

Tash331982

A lot of homebrand groceries are just as good if not better than name brands,but in saying that I still have favourites that are name brands and will pay extra for

Anonymous

Products that I am used to I will stick to the name brand but if it is something I have never tried before I will buy thecheapest brand which isn't always homebrand. If a product I usually buy is no longer available then I will go for the cheapest, whether it is homebrand or not.

Nadine30724055

I find that sometimes the home brand isn't just cheaper but in the case of cereals are also healthy or at least contain less sugar. Since Aldi we have definitely started to be open to different brands and cheaper products. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean worse. They can in fact be the same or better. However there are times spending a bit more on a brand does work.

June

I think some of the Home brands are very much maligned. We have been buying Coles Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies for quite a while and to me they are every bit as good or better than some of the well known Brands. They are full of Choc chips, are crispy and fresh and just melt in your mouth. Their value is fabulous as they cost $3.99 for a large pack of 400 grms. We've tried lots of other brands and we'll stick to these. Unfortunately there are other items I can no longer buy and still haven't been able to find substitutes as good. Green Valley Spanish Black Olives for instance although Sandhurst is not a bad alternative I suppose. So often products disappear even after being available for many years and never ever come back again.

owainjmorris

i enjoyed Pam's soup mix',and stocked up on it when it was on special.
I visited my 2 local New World stores, to find neither stock it now.
No reason for it...

Anonymous

I think that a lot of "home brands" are actually a great alternative and in some cases actually taste better than some others (looking at you black and gold cheese). compared to what it used to be only 10 years ago now, the quality has come a long way and is great for people who might not be able to afford the more expensive stuff without it affecting the taste and quality :)

barbiedoll99

I always try Home Brands, because I want to save money being a Pensioner, BUT if I do not think they are up to the normal brands that I buy I give them the flick. It is not much use saving money if you ddo not like the product.
As a rule I find the Home Brands are really excellent, there are a few exceptions, such as Home brand Instant Coffee, "FORGET IT, i THINK IT IS HORRIBLE. The Home Brand Spaghetti and Baked Beans have less of the solids and so much more of the fluids., SO NO GO. There are still plenty of other ones that are good. Such as Sugar. Sugar is sugar and cannot be altered, The flours are also good. and many other items. the only way to know is to try. BUT keep an eye on the prices as in some cases the Home Brand is more expensive than the branded product.

Trisha 30587341

Some home brands are better and some are not I used allot of home brand products like dish washing liquid laundry powder diced tomatoes frozen vegetables

dee

I buy home brands all the time and have done for many years. The majority of the products is just as good if not better than some named brands. The only thing I will not change from is Heinz baked beans and Edgell tinned peas.

flo

I find that the brands they tend to remove are the most popular brand names and the ones I usually like. Quite often I find that the supermarket brands are the same price and actually end up costing you more because they don't have the sames quality or flavour and end up on the bin. Some home brands are OK. I have notiace that it is very rare that I can find Continental packet gravy and sauces

Rocketdog

I shop at Foodland in South Australia particularly intensely because of the variety, choice and range of food products and brands displayed on their shelves. I shop Woolies, Coles and Aldies for the brand items that are on special but relish spending an hour or so fetching the specialty items I seek from the shopping Ailses at Foodland. Its a sad predicament when profits induce Supermarkets to restrict the variety of products on sale at their shopping aisles.

PGS

As long as the milk is full cream, I see no difference. There is a difference in breads & biscuits. Some soft drinks apparently taste different although similar.

Even though some of the generics are made by the big companies, the recipe is usually altered somewhat.

Fatso

I will be very disappointed if the brands I normally buy are not available.Home brands are a waste of money.Most of the homebrands the taste is not up to scratch.I rather pay more and get a better quality.

Virginia30241277

I've got to the stage where I avoid the "big three" - Woolworths/Safeway, Coles and Aldi and I'm sick of the lack of choice with brand names and them trying to get you to purchase their store brands. I go to places like IGA and Foodworks that still have a wide range of choice in the brand names.

Beaverquick

It is annoying when a brand that is well-established suddenly disappears.

Dei

I hope this is the choice discussion. I don't mind having choice, what I hate is so called 'authorities', like the government & now Woolworths & Coles trying to tell me what I can/cannot do, have, think or buy. Enough of the nanny nationing, let me make up my own mind!
Just in case this is not the correct discusson, I buy a mix of homebrand & branded - probably higher on the branded side though, as I'm not sure the quality is the same throughout.

Natasha30571304

There are some Homebrands that are bad and tast bad but some are better then the Branded Brands. Homebrands are very much Cheaper i go for the Home brands were possable

Migaloo

I find some brands that have disappeared from the main line super markets l can still buy in Super IGA .Some home brands are okay some not so good , l head to Super IGA to see if my brand is on their shelf now a days , like Maggie peanut sauce for one .

Anonymous

For the most part they're alright, but they still something I can't get a hook on like the branded ones. Like their stack chips. It's texture is passable, but there comes a odd after taste which you don't get with brands like Pringles.

nome0171

Golden circle tin beans, gone. Now not a lot on offer more homebrand tins.
If you look as you go down each Isle you see more and more cheap nasty brands from overseas.
They are a very poor substitute. They dont have the quality control as the brands from Australia had. So disappointed in the way our supermarkets are heading.

ck14

Home brands are definitely cheaper than name brands. I find that some home brand products hold the same quality as name brands. However, other home brand products are far worse in quality than name brands. It's really trial and error when buying products - once you find good quality home brand products, you'll end up saving a lot of money in the long run.

ck14

Home brands are definitely cheaper than name brands. I find that some home brand products hold the same quality as name brands. However, other home brand products are far worse in quality than name brands. It's really trial and error when buying products - once you find good quality home brand products, you'll end up saving a lot of money in the long run.

Melissa30534422

Something's are ok in home brand. Cereals are terrible I think and I use to buy the bread but it doesn't stay fresh. As soon as you open it, its fresh for about 2 hrs

hools

I find most of the everyday goods of similar quality but with some there is no substitute for say Timtams

Jackson30534381

I love food as long as its nutritious and delicious

Tibbey

I like homebrand due to its price. I don't like the way smaller manufacturers are steadily disappearing due to the dominance of massive corporations

BAWRIT

Certain home brand products were great! Like Homebrand Neapolitan Icecream. That was the best! Or, like, the ones that are just as good as the branded ones. Like two minutes noodles. It's like, stop trying to sell me fancy two minute noodles, I want the msg riddled, low quality, potentially poisonous stuff that costs less than the energy it takes to boil the kettle.

pjohnw

I find these days i'm doing nearly all my shopping at Aldi , at first it seemed strange with all their homebrand names i had never heard of , but as we tried each one we were surprised at their good quality and price. Have not come across a product we do not like .

Anonymous

Hi

I used to get Deep Spring Lemon Mineral Water from Coles. It was the best for a thirst on a really hot day, but a year ago ish it disappeared and was replaced with Coles Lemon Mineral Water which seemed to taste as good, at least not very different.

rand Now I cant even get that and the replacement brand is rubbish. What happened? Is it nor longer available?

Cheers

bossn

Your local super market has realized that for the ones that sell very well. Why not just make our own and make it cheaper to compete with name brands, while were at it. Why don't we just remove name brands all together and only sell our goods. This is just business and quite frankly a pretty smart idea. It's unfortunate for those products that can be replicated.

bettythrelfo

I find that lots of my normal brands are disappearing... and being replaced by a home brand... Now it may be that some of these are as good, but I think I would prefer the brands I used to be able to buy.

pommy22

I prefer named brands as most use Australian produce. I know that Coles & woollys tinned tomatoes come from Italy which is used by China as a dumping ground for tomatoes. I know Heinz frozen stuff comes from New Zealand, again another Chinese dumping ground, I try and support our own farmers even if its a few cents more.

Aliyaraya

I hate that some of the brands are no longer stocked in the supermarkets. Some of the home brands are on a par with the brand names and then others should just be thrown out. I really hate it when you find a good product and you buy it regularly and then one day you go in and its no longer there.

Swinburneeducate

I'm a little fed up with cokes in particular replacing my favourite items with home brand. Items like flour sugar ect are equally as good and that fine. Now I see a lot of mybtonato paste like legos is being replaced and not even offered. These companies spend a fortune on marketing so consumers will go and purchase their products to get to the supermarket and find they are not available or the range of products have been diminished

danielajlil

Can remember any brands that have left the shelf but some homebrand items are just filled with water and horrible tasting unfortunately the other thing of concern is where is this product from ???

angry mum

Lots of homebrand things are disappearing from Woolworths shelves. Some stores still have them, others dont. At our local and closest store they seem to be pulling most homebrand items off the shelves. I didn't mind their homebrand margarine but they no longer stock. Also their cling wrap and alfoil have vanished. We have 3 Woolworths closeby and the other 2 still stock the items. They are much cheaper than the well known brands and I'll try anything once. If it's no good then I simply buy another brand.

Anonymous

I love many of the home brand products. I find them to be just as good as the original or pretty close in quality especially for the cheaper price you pay. You definitely save money buying these products. The only thing I find frustrating are the different products at other stores and sometimes you cannot find what your looking for and have to pay the full price for the more expensive goods.

archer

archer says some of the homebrand goods are ok like alfoil or dairy blend butter I still tend to buy good quality toilet paper like quilton because the cheaper ones are too thin things like milk are ok but there are a lot more homebrand things on the shelves so you don't have a choice

hools

I'm a regular Also shopper and I find the cheaper version of the branded product is very comparable and even sometimes better.

hools

I'm a regular Also shopper and I find the cheaper version of the branded product is very comparable and even sometimes better.

Anonymous

Living on a smallish budget for groceries, I always select home brands because they're often cheaper. Unfortunately I usually feel that on some products I am sacrificing quality because of this. However, even without the growing number of home brand products I find it really difficult to select products quickly based on the growing number of brand names creating new products. For example, I buy muesli bars once a fortnight, I really enjoy the "Carman's" ones but they are always so expensive. I either go when they're on special or select another brand. A lot of the "Be Natural" bars are quite good but there are some that are clearly of lesser quality.

david

most home brands are made by the large producers and home brand labels are added if you check the labels they state where the product comes from,then adds produce of china-made/assembled in Australia.which means the product is australian

missg26

so far they are good and cheaper as well but in choosing like this brand and price are not important but what matter most is the energy level that you can get from these brand

Ashar

Home brands are definitely not as good as name brands. They may be cheaper but the quality is not as good in most cases. I would like to buy Golden Circle tropical fruit salad in the 880 g can , produce of Queensland and canned in Australia but I can never find it on supermarket shelves.

Anonymous

home brands can be ok, they may be up to the standard of some name brands. although the majority of home brands seem to be a lesser quality and that's why they are generally cheaper, they have lesser quality of ingredients or parts and there for the product is cheaper. a lot of individuals choose the home brands for the price, and will only buy the name brands if know the product works better or is on special. the products people buy either name brand or home brand relate to buying behavior which can relate to heuristic tendencies in consumers, people with these tendencies have in set rules while shopping (buying the cheapest brand, always picking the same product), they will go for certain products, and choose the company/s that offer these services.

WH

Homebrand taste not as good as branded.

Steve30342827

Definitely some brands have been removed from shelves, seemingly in favour of the home brands. Some home brand items are ok, but some I would not buy and prefer brand names to get a bit of quality

Steve30342827

Often they are just as good as branded goods, but there are some differences for some things. For example, sugar is fine as a homebrand for most things, as are most dry goods. Some tinned veges may tend to not be as good however in my experience.

Pardeep

Home brands are appealing to vast majority because of the price and and marketing techtics of the super markets. Whereas, named brands are important to the society as well as they promote healthy competition and paysback the economy by development.

Rabbits1

I much prefer brands over home brands, otherwise if we dont support brands then supermarkets will only stock their own products and then they can keep increasing prices further on us!

Anonymous

As long as it is good

squeekums

The only thing i dont buy home brand is coke, allens chicos and marshmallows, everything else usually passes my taste, usage test

Anonymous

Home brand products are great! I like when the products i like/need have a home brand equivalent, this usually works out to begin of the same quality in my opinion. The only event in which I wouldn't buy a home brand product is for speciality food products like my favourite candy or chips and canned tuna because recreating the particular blend of ingredients that make the food i like so nice is not met by home brands. However in relation to other food products like salt/pepper, rice its absolutely fine.

Bigvizz77

I feel like the home bran items are the leftovers or (bad batches) of the named products. I feel like they are of lesser quality and taste different. Home brand toilet paper just doesn't compare to Kleenex or sorbent.

Anonymous

Some home brands are great, personally I don't mind them all. But my household has grown up on branded stuff so they prefer those. Me? I like the cheap stuff! Still just as good!

Bigvizz77

I feel like the home bran items are the leftovers or (bad batches) of the named products. I feel like they are of lesser quality and taste different. Home brand toilet paper just doesn't compare to Kleenex or sorbent.

Luke

Home brands are cheaper over other retail brands in all industries. In some cases you cannot tell the difference between home brand and better quality branded goods. However, these home branded goods are killing the country. You only have to look at what cheap milk is doing to the dairy industry!

jtmorri

The brand tinned fruit has disappeared even different sized tins, the variety of Campbell soups have diminished, certain pasta types and sauces are no longer stocked, full cream yoghurts are almost non existent, toilet paper brands are less and a chump lamb roast cut is non existent. The home brands don't replace everything as I don't buy them for all kinds of groceries. They are cheaper, you get what you pay for. I move on and adjust my menu and forget about the things I can no longer buy.

Sohail

This is true that home brands are cheaper than named brands, but when we look at the quality home brands quality can not compete with the quality of named brands.

Sohail

i totally agree however i find some homebrand products equally as good in quality as branded products

Yeah you're right but there are only some homebrands which have quality if you will trust on every homebrand you can experience a loss of money.

shahid30241239

This is true that home brands are cheaper than named brands, but when we look at the quality home brands quality can not compete with the quality of named brands.

i totally agree however i find some homebrand products equally as good in quality as branded products

Sohail

This is true that home brands are cheaper than named brands, but when we look at the quality home brands quality can not compete with the quality of named brands.

sweetypieelizabeth

i love Homebrands,they are cheap and cheerful...............and when it comes to the basic stuff like Cleaning Supplies, General Consumables really it doesn't so much matter as these Homebrand Items are often made by the same Companies whom make the "bigger Brands"..so why not save some money where You can..............?????

jenkiki

It depends on the 'Home Brand' and the product it'self. Sometimes I can't tell the difference other times the the named brands are a lot better in quality and in taste. I don't really have any emotional attachment to any brands, but I do care about the quality of ingredients and the taste of the products I buy. I grew up eating home brand stuff so there are no now non existent name brand items I can recall.

mymonkey

Most home brands are really good and cheap, especially things that you don't eat, eg, plastic forks and spoon, serviettes, plates and cups, gladwraps and foils are great in home brands...even rice, sugar, canned beans and legumes, most of my shopping is homebrand, and I don't have a problem with any of them.
As for food, I have bought home brands and some of them are really good, in the normal brands,I think you are just paying for the brand name and colour wrappings. There is of course foods that I have bought in homebrands which really wasn't nice, but you experiment and see whats nice and whats not nice...

frannymanny

I do not buy much in the way of manufactured products so no name brands are fine

duanne

whats in a name

bube

some of the premium homebrands are very good and the can compeet with the main brands, I wait for Aldi to come to WA the have only there brands and the as good then any of the main brands

snook

Home brands V Named brands.
My wife and I have raised 4 children on mostly home brands without one complaint on the home brands purchased. These home brands were mainly Woolworths Select brand. We tried many different Home brands and after a lots of trial and error we settled on Woolworths Select . There is an old saying .
When you find a good thing Stick to it. Regards John (snook)

bayze

Yell i cant say for 100 % but i think careful consideration when choosing home brand products as i became aware that New Zealand were importing rice from veitnam & recently discovered they were importing from China which have high level of lead.

brennan

To be quite honest, I am past the whole "buy the brand-name" items. There are certainly some products where I would only buy brand name, for example, Cadbury chocolate will always be no.1 for me over home brand. But in terms of something like Pringles, I have been buying home brand. It is literally less than half the price and you cannot taste the difference. I am not sure if maybe I am just kind of "immune" to the cheaper taste now that I have been buying home brand, but I cant really tell. Most items I buy now aren't named brand such as milk, ice-cream, frozen meals, cold meat, chips, lollies, tuna, pasta, sauces, etc.
I do however believe that if you have a named brand on the odd occasion, it may be more appealing because it has a slight edge over home brand, but as soon as I return to home brand I do not feel different at all. All in all, for the price difference, it seems pointless to buy named brand most of the time.

brennan

To be quite honest, I am past the whole "buy the brand-name" items. There are certainly some products where I would only buy brand name, for example, Cadbury chocolate will always be no.1 for me over home brand. But in terms of something like Pringles, I have been buying home brand. It is literally less than half the price and you cannot taste the difference. I am not sure if maybe I am just kind of "immune" to the cheaper taste now that I have been buying home brand, but I cant really tell. Most items I buy now aren't named brand such as milk, ice-cream, frozen meals, cold meat, chips, lollies, tuna, pasta, sauces, etc.
I do however believe that if you have a named brand on the odd occasion, it may be more appealing because it has a slight edge over home brand, but as soon as I return to home brand I do not feel different at all. All in all, for the price difference, it seems pointless to buy named brand most of the time.

frannymanny

I always buy home brand if available. It is a real help on a tight budget. If ai do not particularly like the taste of a homebrand product I find that if I never buy anything else I get used to it

jen32

home brands are awesome a lot of time better and cheaper than name brands

Jess90

I love home brand, so much cheaper, the products are still very good quality and still much cheaper. If i could do my entire shop in home brand i would

Anonymous

It really depends on what your after,buying a normal basic toothpaste if you actually read it, home brands and marked brands have the same everything it contains.if your buying home brands tomato sauce and example of heinz tomato sauce well it depends on your taste buds but it also comes down to buying it in a bulk for special occasions such as parties and celebrations. So its up to the person reall of how picky you can be or lets just say, you win some you lose some.

Angieg

I buy homebrand for products like flour, sugar, milk, garbage bags/some toiletries. However, I won't buy certain things that are homebrand again such as coffee, tea, cling wrap, baked beans, beetroot, corn kernals, chocolate or cake ... they are bin worthy. I've just read that 'Toobs' chips are being discontinued (Noooo!) and have noticed that certain confectionery no longer exists, i.e: Polly Waffles, spearment leaves.

Anonymous

As a student my first reaction is to pick the cheapest one of everything. A lot of the time, I can't tell the difference between the home brand and the named brand. But sometimes I can, like with chocolate for eating, I wouldn't buy the select brand I'd choose lindt or Cadbury. I also thing there's a social stigma against buying home brand items. If I'm having friends over I will buy chips and soft drink that are named brands because other people have preferences, even if I can't taste the difference.

Anonymous

All goods and services provided by household name shops are all there to make us choose from. At the end of the day we make the decisions and choices to purchase and consume whatever products, weather it be home brands or big name brands.

Home Name brands also contribute to local and domestic competition among small businesses and thus creates a stable and conducive environment for more spin offs and opportunities to help build the economy.

Both brands have their advantages and disadvantages so it really comes down to personal custosmer liking, taste and dollar value!

Anonymous

All goods and services provided by household name shops are all there to make us choose from. At the end of the day we make the decisions and choices to purchase and consume whatever products, weather it be home brands or big name brands.

Home Name brands also contribute to local and domestic competition among small businesses and thus creates a stable and conducive environment for more spin offs and opportunities to help build the economy.

Both brands have their advantages and disadvantages so it really comes down to personal custosmer liking, taste and dollar value!

Anonymous

Sometimes the home brands taste just as good as the named brands. And then sometimes I find home brands you get less in weight yet you pay more, and then some of the brand names they have more in weight and are cheaper. It's weird how it works sometimes. Alternately, I just think the home brands are the same product as the brand products. Just a cheaper way of selling them.

nanone

Kraft salad dressings have disappeared from the supermarkets shelves. Have tried some of the named brands and am not a fan. They just don't taste as nice as Krafts. Coles salad dressings are ok but have a limited range of flavours.

Anonymous

i like home brand but sometimes if these some cheap we can have them

Joydy

I always check where the products have been made! If it is Australian made with Australian products I am happy to buy it, whether its "Home Brand" or expensive products. Better to buy Australian than imported food from countries that don't have the same food handling standards as us!

Kiwigal

Kiwigal

When I am buying home brands versus labels, I try to imagine whether a company supplying this product has an option to sell a cheap alternative.eg Pasta...its a very simple ingredient mix with specialised machinery son there isnt room for making it cheap wheras tea leaves for instance has many grades. Concentration in washing powders and liquids mat be compromised so I watch out for this kind of product and tend not to buy

Anonymous

Home brands are ok. I woudln't mind getting their bread, milk and other general stuff but I must admit they're not as good as named brands though.

Anonymous

Most people may not realise but home brand products are generally "branded" products - I know that Sam Remo supplies to Woolworths home-brand pasta. There are many products that are fine as home brand however your sanitary items and are ones that I wouldn't buy anything but a brand that is well known.

Shane54

This is true that home brands are cheaper than named brands, but when we look at the quality home brands quality can not compete with the quality of named brands.

Yeah i agree totally Mummar

Anonymous

I reckon depending on the ingredients inside of it , for example if youre wanting to buy a can of baked beans home brand versus named brand probably both will taste the same however ofcourse home brand is cheaper and depending on your budget aswell , if you're on a tight budget the home brand works as well as other brands but if you're willing to spend more then go for the branded ones .

Anonymous

I dont like hombrands

aussiejohn

It always amazes me that so few people know that the major supermarkets tender out the manufacture of their "house brand" products to manufacturers who can make the product to a certain recipe and PRICE.

It is not the case that all products are just the branded product, with a different label. That bit of nonsense has been circulating for donkeys years, and people believe it.

I buy some house brands, flour, milk, salt, etc. In the scheme of things, they are fine. But I won't compromise on my Dilmah Tea, Meadowlea Marg, and things like that.

Aldi keeps changing their products to keep the price down. When you see the dreaded "New Look" on the packaging, you know it is going to be awful.

They have reformulated their Vita Grain biscuits. Now they are tasteless, thin like a piece of cardboard and just awful.

Same with their crumpets. Went from 99c to $1.19, and now you wouldn't give those crumpets to your dog, they are disgusting. There is a reason why Golden Crumpets cost 3 times as much!

Aldi margarine is full of palm oil, not content with killing the orangatangs, they want to kill us as well. Aldi Tomato Paste is made in China. Who wants to risk eating that??

terry01

good

marktime

Well i think things like Flour and Sugar where it pretty much comes from one source are no problems for the home brands but when you go to things like Pizzas things can be a bit different. I am sure i used to be able to buy white sauce mixture in a little resealable strong cardboard tin like gravox but i can't seem to find that anymore and have to buy sachets.

Anonymous

Homebrands are fine for some things but others I refuse to purchase. E.g. baked beans? Homebrand are so insipid and full of pale liquid. Foil and toilet paper - you may save money but then use twice as much! I hate known brands that bring out a product then it is only limited edition - e.g. Magnum flavours by streets and Starburst berries and cream lollies!!

Anonymous

HOmebrand products can be ok and I find that if I shop wisely I can save money. However I would never use homebrand toilet paper or alfoil. You may save money but you use twice as much so then you don't really save money at all. Most canned things like baked beans or other vegetables are so insipid looking and tasting. I hate it when known brands release 'special edition' prodcuts like STreets magnum flavours. I miss Starburst berries and cream lollies like crazy.

Anonymous

Some homebrand products seem to be ok but I would never buy homebrand baked beans or tinned fruit. They are just so insipid. I miss Starburst Berries and cream lollies more than anything. I also miss the Magnum chocolate biscuit icecream and their coffee Magnum. I hate it when well known brands release a product short term and then just take it off the shelves.

Anonymous

Yes there are brands no longer available that I have bought in the local health food store.
As Far as Home Brand Verses Named Brands I think that we get used to a particular tastes and way of doing things...and home brands have their own particular uses,just as named brands,so just have to do things slightly different with the new home brands.
Most people have their favorite recipe is my point and a new product and an old recipe is hard to break so it a new recipe to solve the day.
For Me Money is a factor as if it is available for the home brand price why would I pay more so home brand wins in that respect.

frannymanny

I used to buy weet bix and cheerios for my children and grand children but these days I only buy rolled oats for myself and homebrand is fine. If my grandchildren come to stay they bring their own cereal if they do not want to eat oats. Cereals were always a bit of a treat because when the children wer growing up we had congee for breakfasr

Dudjen

I find some home brands good whilst others are below par. Dry goods tend not to live up to standard and are thin or watered down. Pity though that the name brands are getting more expensive whilst their sizes are reduced.

Sweets1

Some non branded items are fine and some are not. I have also found that they can change. We always bought no name weet bix and found them the same as Sanitarium. However my husband insisted that they changed the receipe as they tasted different. When I rang and asked they claimed nothing had changed. We tried another box in case we had bought an dud one and the same thing. So now we have swapped to the Sanitarium Weet Bix

Anonymous

The home brands are cheaper but I reckon the aren't a good quality as name brands. As usual, going for the cheaper option isn't always the best choice. The home brand is a cheap copy of the name brand and isn't always up to standards so if you want quality brands then go for the name brand. If you don't care and just want the cheaper option then go for the home brand.

jan99

WE buy Home brands all the time. Its a matter of trial and error, you have to test the products you buy. Some are cheap and nasty but the others are great! Once you know what's good, you tend to stick to it and save money as well.

jan99

WE buy Home brands all the time. Its a matter of trial and error, you have to test the products you buy. Some are cheap and nasty but the others are great! Once you know what's good, you tend to stick to it and save money as well.

marybell

Well I have brought other home brands and no I am afraid they don't seem as authentic ..would like to stick to the proper original brands.

barzeuss

The name brand just sucks you in with that sweet sweet sweet sugar addictive, I say go home brand and just and your own sugar that most people add extra anyway when having breakfast...... even honey is that sweet sweet sweet taste of added sugar that you so crave

brennan

I find that the home brands are good because you can usually save a couple bucks. However, the quality is noticeable! I still enjoy home brand products and I'm more than happy to purchase them, but the biggest difference I find is when you go back and actually buy the named brand again. For example, if I change to home brand snakes, still quite yummy yes, but then go back and buy a pack of starburst snakes, suddenly the starburst tastes better than it did before because you compare it to something else! So basically, yes I enjoy home brand things and I will buy them but name brand quality is and will always be higher!

ventnorgirl

I loved honey smacks no longer available so I crave for any of the nice cereals with sultanas and cream eg nutri grain/just right ordinary kind not the sort with lumps in it.

Anonymous

Some brands have altered in how they market their products but on the whole home brands can be worthwhile considering.

Mammabear

I have had many a bad experience with no name/home brand products but increasingly I find no or fewer alternatives these days. I know that's what the big supermarkets want - you to choose their own brand. I will always choose a known product or brand because groceries are too expensive to buy and then throw out because of either poor taste, spoiled product or just not up to scratch.

Ashar

No the quality is definitely not as good. I would never buy them and don't support Coles and Woolworths getting any more domination of the market. I would like to buy plum and pineapple jam, Clinic shampoo, iced Vo Vo biscuits, chilli peanuts, Norco ice cream , lime soft drink, just to name a few but they are never on supermarket shelves.

Dora

I used to like the Coles brand Lime cordial but now ca never seem to find it in Coles

tony69au

good

Anonymous

I'm a thrifty shopper and I have found that from different supermarkets, you can find a decent home brand that is actually better than a name brand. I'm not ashamed to have a cupboard full of "no frills" cans or cereal box etc. It comes down to budget. Besides, at the end of the day, food is food. Shop wisely and don't be embarrased to buy budget. Your pocket will thank you for it.

kaza1

Home brand, I have brought home brand before. They are not to bad, I find that they are not as crunchy as the named brands. The freshness is as good.
I will stick to the name brand for my self.

Jnani

no, not used

CHUC

As the saying goes, you pay what you get, or you get what you pay, with brand name, there is almost guaranteed quality is a must, so ther you go

xREDSWEDENx

It would just be that these big supermarket chains would've bought out these name brand companies and rebranded the package, but as for some products not being available anymore it would be due to those products not being a valuable source of income for those companies.

Kuro

like home brand, because is cheaper. but some time home brand is not as good as the branded.... i always like to give it a try tothe home brand first.......

Anonymous

I went into Woolworths yesterday and picked up a couple 'Select' brand 1.25 drinks, 'Homebrand' bleach, 'Homebrand' margarine, 2x 'Homebrand' sandwhich sliced bread, 'Homebrand' seafood flavour catfood, 'Select' 3L milk, 'Homebrand' 4L icecream to make milkshakes. For what I bought I spent $20 and was quite happy with the quality of the items I got for the price I paid.

With things like chocolate, biscuits, cakes, frozen meals or fish I wouldnt get the homebrand as quality is quite bland in flavour. Dishwashing detergent, washing detergent and cleaning items are also better to get the more known brands as the homebrand in them items you have to use twice as much and double handle and wash clothes twice to get the same the outcome. You may pay more for the better named brand but use half as much so it equals the same price in the end sometimes to pickup the named brand.

Anonymous

I have always seen home brand as an cheaper alternative (and they really area). Sometimes the quality of the food isn't great. However, it could be that we are persuading our own mind to think named brand is the better choice. This is due years and year of advertisement that leads to this kind of thinking. If we were to compare the ingredient lists on both products, there is high chances they are 90% the sam. Hence, we should just pick what we feel comfortable with. If we have money to spare we could just spend more on the named brand otherwise home brand is pretty decent to get by.

Anonymous

i would like to see our named brands back on our shelves as i feel they are better in flavour

Anonymous

No, some homebrand items are just as good as expensive brands, I preferr to use home brand bleach instead of a expensive brand because the home brand works just as good!

aussiejohn

This is true that home brands are cheaper than named brands, but when we look at the quality home brands quality can not compete with the quality of named brands.

Can you share with us your scientific tests which prove conclusively that Home Brand Bleach is as good as White King.

bettythrelfo

I think that some items are as good as the items that are "top brands" but others are a no no. I guess by talking to others and reading here you can find out which are good brands in the home line.

ciaobella

When it comes to cereal, I always go for named brands. Not sure why I haven't had the courage to just try a home brand equivalent, but maybe this discussion has spurred my curiosity and I'll just take the plunge. As for other products, I find home brands to be great, to be honest, and sometimes I am on a tight budget so home brands are a life saver. Unfortunately, I have noticed a trend, particularly with Coles Supermarkets, to scale down the choice of named brand products... not liking that very much, I'm afraid.

GavinMe

The true issue here is whether you choose to: 1) buy a branded (hopefully Australian) product and support an independent, sometimes family-owned company/business producing something of value to people; or 2) buy a home/supermarket branded product which is the result of the huge supermarket conglomerate screwing down profitability for the manufacturer/producer in favour of higher profit margin for the supermarket chain.
I know most people are primarily concerned with their own outlay and don't consider the wider ramifications. However, there are much greater issues at stake behind your saving of a few cents when you choose to buy a supermarket branded product.
In the end, when there are no independent brands left and your only choice is supermarket-branded product, we'll all be paying more. The only winners are the Woolworths/Coles/Costco/Walmarts of the world. Your short term "gain" will inevitably become a long term loss for us all.

Emae

I Know for a FACT, a company that had imported products from a cheaper source overseas & would pack the products with only different labels on them, yet they were the exact same product with 1 having a name brand on it & another having a no name brand label on it...so there were no difference in the product quality at all except the consumer was paying a higher cost for the same product being sold in 1 shop compared to where it was being sold in another shop

Emae

I choose only a few home brand items from Coles or Woolworths for specific recipes I use in cooking, as I find these home brand products I choose are ok or equal to other well known brands for the reason I need them.
Other than that, I don't buy home brands for any other reason as I find a large variety of them are awful in taste, quality, colour, ingredients used & being imported which I find difficult to trust due to child labour/environment factors etc in the countries of import due to mass production or chemicals used...

MummaBee

I buy whatever my family likes the taste of. It doesnt matter wether its a $20 brand or a 99c brand.

Anonymous

Most of home brands is as good as the similar products from the other brands. I prefer to choose to use home brands product because of their competitive price and their own quality. As they always say, why we have to pay more for the same things.

Anonymous

I have eliminated
Coles from my grocery shopping. I can no longer find anything except their brand at my local shop ie Camden Park SA.
Woolworths at Glenelg, SA, still has a good selection of brand labels but have an overiding policy to sell only certain products. So far this has meant I have had to ask my local IGA to get in my 'Goodness -Barley and Oats'. They will attempt to get in what you request and if this product sells they will continue to supply it.
This has encouraged me to use my local IGA as much as I can but I am also aware that their prices are higher. I therfor shop mainly between Woolworths and IGA.

Anonymous

I buy both as I have found that there is good and bad on both sides, I think it depends on what you are buying especially when it comes to electrical appliances this is were I will check everything out before I buy.

gaybo

homebrands are cheaper but i dont think they have the same quality as well known brands

Anonymous

I think it really depends on the product. Anything is worth a try to see if it's any good. However I would read the back to see where it is from. I'm not inclined to purchase food from China or NZ unless I know 100% it actually comes from NZ. Once I had children I am much more careful about these things. I try to mostly buy local with food. Anything else I will 100% give home brands a try :)
The main frustration is however that I might find a good home brand product but then it changes :(

Anonymous

home brand is the same, cheaper just in another packet. nothing wrong with home brand

jesssurvey13

I bought home brand and non home brand fruit loops to compare, the home brand were tastier and bigger loops than the non home brand

Anonymous

Alot of products are fine. I miss Crazy Salt.

telly19

I prefer to gets what ever is cheap the only thing I by that is a brand is bread which is wonder white its so soft

debbie doo

a lot of home brands are ok it does take time to read all the labels to find out place of origin, also I hope the suppliers are not bullied by the big chain stores for cheaper prices just so they can have their products on their shelves

debbie doo

a lot of home brands are ok it does take time to read all the labels to find out place of origin, also I hope the suppliers are not bullied by the big chain stores for cheaper prices just so they can have their products on their shelves

stevieerose

It depends what store you're shopping at because each supermarket has its own home brand. I'm very obsessive with health and making sure they contain no nasties and are as organic as possible, most of the time I find home brand isn't that good in terms of the products/ingredients in them, but I have found a few basic products that are pretty good like oats.

Blossom

Yes, and those are probably manufactured by the same company and are the "end of the line" for the day as it is called in the industy. I worked at a Distribution Centre for 40 years. The generic brands are made by big name manufacturers on the same equipment. With exception of in-store bakeries most of the generic bread comes from Tip Top unless they have lost the contract. I have a relative that works in the bakery itself in Adelaide. They simply put it in generic branded bags. If you are in the supermarkets at the right time you will see it unpacked from brand labelled crates.

Tanasalisha

Most taste ok and some are quite good, but there are still some cheap and nasty home brand products out there. They are often cheaper than the named brands but some are just as expensive, but that does not guarantee the taste.

Magenta Bruine

Dear looklively,

Very interesting issue you raise, I have found myself in my local Coles supermarket that little by little, all my favourite brands are disappearing and being replaced by the Coles own brand products. Sometimes you can still find the brands, but they have been moved either to the very top or the very bottom of the shelf. I resist this trend, as although I am happy to buy Coles brand bread, sugar, flour, etc I do find the brands (for instance Maille mustard) far superior for specialist products.
It seems to me the big chains are becoming more and more like Aldi every day!

dj0003

there are just some things I will not compromise on ie - toilet paper & tissues
gotta be soft & thick lol

as far as other brands go it really comes down to ingredients, aussie/Tassie made from aussie/Tassie products. I try to support locals. Must be low in sugar & salt etc

steele

Aldi own brands are the best in my opinion

redgum

Aldi own brands are the best in my opinion

I agree with you steele, Aldi products generally are better and healthier, if you look on the back label, youll find that theres less sugars, less fats etc

flo

I find a lot of the home brands are not as good as the name brands but there are some that are better. I often find that the homebrand items are more expensive than name brands especially when on sale. I get rather disappointed when they remove the name brands with the homebrands that are a poorer quality, I then usually go to another shop to find my favourites or try their homebrand product to see if better.

RainbowC

I use homebrand cereals for baking slices and cookies with. I find they taste rather bland as a cereal. Most named brand cereals taste the same as each other these days, but I have found the Dick Smith Bush Foods museli is brilliant. Filling, tasty, healthy and Aussie as well. It may initially appear to cost more, but as you need less in your bowl to fill you up, it works out the same as regular cereal.

Shell1967

I almost always buy the "home brand" as the saving is very significant. However where I draw the line is tomato sauce and baked beans/canned spag - the sauce is so very watery it is not worth the savings. If only the public know that some home brand products are the gourmet product in a different box!!!

Anonymous

There are some things that are better value to buy in home brand - i.e. flour, sugar. Generally I find with home brands they are not quite as healthy, or do not taste quite the same as the named brand .
I buy mostly home brand products for baking or cooking with, because they are better value.

ednamc

I find most of the home brands are good. After all, most of them are made in the same factories as the well known brands.

Assaya

Once bitten, twice shy. I have had to throw away Home Brand rubbish, it was too embarrassing to serve, so unless I can see the quality of the product, I will always stick to BRAND products now.

Freedomy

Years ago, the thought of having home brand in my home was too much for my little brain to cope with. But as I have gotten older, I try a home brand, if I like it I keep it, if I don't I wont go with it. I find Coles and Woolies are making their own brands and this keeps brands (especially cereal) achievable to bye. Because it is like copycats but with a different label. I am yet to try Coles Nutrigrain, which is half the price.

Anyway getting back to the brands. Some Home brands are a real bargin and I love them and others just wont do, for instance toothpaste NO, Two minute noodles NO, but tomato sauce YES. I cant think of too many more, but I am the firm believer to say yes, give it a go and become the best home brand critique you can and save a few bucks along the way.

socker

We try the store brands and if the quality is there we continue to use them. Usually we find them as good. If not we do not buy the again

Sm

I buy home brand for most basic items like flour sugar milk bread foil. Most items that are a base in recipes and things, as today we are stretching the budget as much as we can it saves us 50 a fortnight on our food bills but there are items that u just have to buy brand name as home brand don't taste as good

owl-hollow

I really hate the way the supermarkets are filling up the shelves with all the no name brands. I hate losing the brands I am used to, as you know what to expect when you pick a certain name brand over others.
No name brands are a mixed bunch, simply because you have no idea which big company made them. My hubby used to work for McCains and he said the only difference with their brand compared to no name brands, is that when the product - say pizza was being processed and it had less say cheese or other toppings on it than McCains standards - they swapped the packages to the no name supermarket and packaged them up as them. So by buying the no name brand you are actually getting inferior products to the name brands, most times BUT it also worked the same way if say the product was coming down the line and had too much topping - then they would swap the packaging and package them as no name again - so sometimes you could get a better deal. But as you can see - the standards of the no name brands are very loose, so you can never be sure how good the product is you are buying even though it is mostly processed/made by a name brand anyway. Which is why I prefer the name brands so I know who made it and know what to expect taste and appearance wise.

owl-hollow

I really hate the way the supermarkets are filling up the shelves with all the no name brands. I hate losing the brands I am used to, as you know what to expect when you pick a certain name brand over others.
No name brands are a mixed bunch, simply because you have no idea which big company made them. My hubby used to work for McCains and he said the only difference with their brand compared to no name brands, is that when the product - say pizza was being processed and it had less say cheese or other toppings on it than McCains standards - they swapped the packages to the no name supermarket and packaged them up as them. So by buying the no name brand you are actually getting inferior products to the name brands, most times BUT it also worked the same way if say the product was coming down the line and had too much topping - then they would swap the packaging and package them as no name again - so sometimes you could get a better deal. But as you can see - the standards of the no name brands are very loose, so you can never be sure how good the product is you are buying even though it is mostly processed/made by a name brand anyway. Which is why I prefer the name brands so I know who made it and know what to expect taste and appearance wise.

Anonymous

most home brands are fine they tast the same some auctly i have found are better its more in your mind sometimes but ofcourse you do get what you pay for if you are really fussy then you wont like it but if you are willing to accept that your paying less so it will tast different sometime worse sometimes better its all about the money at the end of the the i really only buy homebrand saves money most the time your just paying for the name

TCEE

Supermarket brands are driving the quality down on all products as they tell the manufacturer how little they are willing to pay and if they do not compete they buy from overseas companies, so we are sending jobs off shore every time you buy a supermarket brand in preference to a national brand or a product made in Australia .
Buy Australian made products from Australian Companies to ensure your children have job prospects .

raedrawwr

I was never, and will never be into purchasing home brand names. It is just a preference of mine to purchase name brands, even if it means paying more.

blondie72

I'm quite annoyed by the ever disappearing "brand names" that are being replaced by 'store brands!'...I refuse to be pushed into buying 'homebrands' because stores are stocking less and less 'name brands.' I have even shopped online at places like GroceryRun to get brands I cannot get anywhere else, so in the end it is the supermarkets that lose the money I am forced to spend elsewhere.

I do not think that the quality of 'store brands" is anywhere near as good as the quality name brands - I care about where a product is sourced, grown, manufactured, etc, etc and what ingredients are in it and where they came from. I do not usually buy store brands outside of garbage bags and cling wrap.

ninna

I find the majority of supermarket brand items are just as good as the big brand names at half the cost. What many people don't realise is that most of it is made in the same factories as the big brand names. Some of it may be excess production & relabelled unless the supermarket wants their own recipes run on the factory line. I really like a lot of ALDI brands when I can get in there to shop & love the bill being half of what it is at other shops. The only things I don't buy from ALDI or other supermarket brands is toilet paper & cereals but the rest is all good & saves a load of money.

cricky

Some of the cheaper versions are okay, especially if you are on a strict budget, we buy Pams and Budget fairly often due to the low income, we sometimes splash out and get Big named products as a treat really, my son does not know the difference between watties and pams etc, so it is fine

Yankeedoodle

Thought I would give you a little info about home brand products. I used to work for a company where we had the opportunity of touring some of our manufacturers product factories that we sold in our stores. Believe it or not some of the home brand products are made by name brand manufacturers. I.E. Smiths potato chips actually make the home brand ones and the same goes for some of you ice cream manufacturers and they are a whole lot cheaper. I will buy home brand anytime over brand name ones and if I find one I don't like I'll buy the cheapest brand name. It comes down to advertising and if you have a company that advertises a lot on TV, magazines etc. you will pay more because their cost has to be passed on.

owl-hollow

Thought I would give you a little info about home brand products. I used to work for a company where we had the opportunity of touring some of our manufacturers product factories that we sold in...

I really hate the way the supermarkets are filling up the shelves with all the no name brands. I hate losing the brands I am used to, as you know what to expect when you pick a certain name brand over others.
No name brands are a mixed bunch, simply because you have no idea which big company made them. My hubby used to work for McCains and he said the only difference with their brand compared to no name brands, is that when the product - say pizza was being processed and it had less say cheese or other toppings on it than McCains standards - they swapped the packages to the no name supermarket and packaged them up as them. So by buying the no name brand you are actually getting inferior products to the name brands, most times BUT it also worked the same way if say the product was coming down the line and had too much topping - then they would swap the packaging and package them as no name again - so sometimes you could get a better deal. But as you can see - the standards of the no name brands are very loose, so you can never be sure how good the product is you are buying even though it is mostly processed/made by a name brand anyway. Which is why I prefer the name brands so I know who made it and know what to expect taste and appearance wise.

Bazz

There are a number of brands that have disappeared over the years that have been "replaced" with "home brands". I read some time ago that these products were actually no different to the "name brands" to the extent that many were actually made in the same place as as the "name brands". I don't like the way this is going though. We now know how badly the big supermarkets are treating their suppliers plus how terrible the economic climate has been against manufacturing anything in this country. We need to know how things are being made, not just the ingredients >1% that are in the food products we buy. When are companies going to be encouraged to focus more on developing foods that are genuinely good for us instead of playing the "taste - addiction - profits" game?

owl-hollow

There are a number of brands that have disappeared over the years that have been "replaced" with "home brands". I read some time ago that these products were actually no different to the "name...

I really hate the way the supermarkets are filling up the shelves with all the no name brands. I hate losing the brands I am used to, as you know what to expect when you pick a certain name brand over others.
No name brands are a mixed bunch, simply because you have no idea which big company made them. My hubby used to work for McCains and he said the only difference with their brand compared to no name brands, is that when the product - say pizza was being processed and it had less say cheese or other toppings on it than McCains standards - they swapped the packages to the no name supermarket and packaged them up as them. So by buying the no name brand you are actually getting inferior products to the name brands, most times BUT it also worked the same way if say the product was coming down the line and had too much topping - then they would swap the packaging and package them as no name again - so sometimes you could get a better deal. But as you can see - the standards of the no name brands are very loose, so you can never be sure how good the product is you are buying even though it is mostly processed/made by a name brand anyway. Which is why I prefer the name brands so I know who made it and know what to expect taste and appearance wise.

Sil sil

Oh I'm noticing the monopoly in the big two chains, more and more of their own brand. Problem I find is a lot are labelled from local and overseas ingredients, that's a worry as you don't actually know where the product comes from. I like buying Australian and have found big dropping quality of fruit and nuts but prices stay high. I think they should be fair and honest with the consumer and not just be making a profit for shareholders.

Blossom

Oh I'm noticing the monopoly in the big two chains, more and more of their own brand. Problem I find is a lot are labelled from local and overseas ingredients, that's a worry as you don't actually...

In some cases the imported ingredients are herbs and spices which can't be grown here.

Elizabeth

Well my comment is, if we keep buying the home brand there will be no brands left in store.

Yes I do buy the brand name products as I can afford to at the moment. I do sometimes buy the home brands as they are sometimes better than the brand.

Yes I have noticed brands disappearing off the shelf and also the size of packaging getting smaller and the price increasing. This does not help when you are following a recipe and have to buy another one to make the difference up. That makes me unhappy!!!!

Anonymous

I used to always but the brand name chicken Kiev until I come across the Coles brand Kiev it tasted way nicer than the brand ones at the time they had 4 in the box at 3.99 now they are up to double the price unfortunately

Chokablok

in my family there are my parents and then 6 kids. we have to go for the cheaper brands so we can afford to live. i personally don't notice much difference between taste or quality. but that is just my opinion.

Anonymous

Brand make us prisioneers

Sil sil

To be honest i don't like all the home brands, i liked having the choice even if there were only 2-3 brands per item. I find alot of things are not made in australia or are a blend of imported & local produce, which doesn't even tell you from which other country. I would like to know where my money is going & have the choice.

Anonymous

The home brands are just cheap and nasty rip offs of the real thing. Alot of the larger supermarkets now have there own home brand and dont stock many of the brands which they used too.

ronaldo

nononononon

lizzie r

most home brands ok but still have my favourites that i still too that aren't home brands and will likely keep it that way

Anonymous

At first it was all just a cheaper alternative, but now they are putting in that extra effort to advertising them as the 'better alternative.' All it comes down to is these big named grocery stores trying to make more money off common every day things and so they can afford to be a few cents cheaper in the end because of how much money the earn hourly.

Anonymous

Home brand products are cheaper and it's usually more convenient to just go to Coles or Safeway, however I believe some things just can't be home brand. Name brand products are usually of much higher quality and are more reliable.

antzy

Home brand cereals are gross. Tasteless, and bleh. Other items I usually buy named brand, except for cleaning products. Like canned vegetables, bread, cheese, milk, sliced meat and pantry stables like flour and sugar, I generally go for home brand. I used to not buy it because I was embarrassed but your groceries can really add up in the end.

Anonymous

Yes there are a few brands that i used to buy that are no longer available.I believe that there are a lot of good home brand products and i use a lot of them.Yes a lot of home brand products are just as good as named brands if not better.

Anonymous

Home brands are ok but they are also not what they use to be, most supermarkets have a 2 types of homes brands the budget (which is normally the cheapest but it pretty nasty) and then its own home brand which is normally pretty good. but at the end of the day its just best to go with what you like the taste of better.

Anonymous

I personally don't like the fact that the home brands are taking over the real brands. The only reason home brands are becoming bigger is that they are a lot cheaper but I rather pay more for the better quality bands.

Anonymous

I personally don't like the fact that the home brands are taking over the real brands. The only reason home brands are becoming bigger is that they are a lot cheaper but I rather pay more for the better quality bands.

KC1991

I dont mind some homebrand things and it is good in a struggle but when you look at it homebrand and name brand things are only a few cents difference but in saying that not everything is I thick woolies select its cheap and also good quality but you always get good food and bad food you could like a homebrand cereal foe example and not a named brand visa versa

Anonymous

I don't think home brands are in general as good as the named brands, and I don't like the monopoly it gives supermarkets on the market.

Alyssa

I'll often go for the generic brand option because I have a small budget. There are some items where you can taste the difference, like chocolate and cornflakes, for some there is a huge difference in quality, e.g. have fattier bacon, but things like milk, cheese, eggs there is very little or no descernable difference (for me at least). If I had a larger budget I would lean towards Australian made and owned as opposed to brand name for the sake of brand name

Anonymous

I love home brands as its cheaper than particular brands. I do most of my shopping from Coles and I usually buy product of Coles brand. As I love to do experiments with the cooking so home brand product is cheap. If I don't like certain things after purchasing and tasting I am happy to throw it away as its price me less.

Anonymous

becuase of cheapest

Deslie

I have tried many home brands and have found some to be very good but others to be of a much lower quality. I never buy home brand toilet paper as the paper is much thinner. Some canned products (eg. canned tomatoes, baked beans and spaghetti) the sauces are very watery. I do buy home brand muesli and find it very good. I think many shops are introducing too many of their own home brands and the small difference in price in most cases is not worth settling for the home brand.

Anonymous

Most homebrands are pretty good, but there are a few that just can't compete with certain name brands. Some of these homebrand products really are inferior to their name brand equivalent (i.e. lacking flavour etc. in food / drinks and lacking some strength / quality in home goods etc.); however occasionally the homebrand seems to be better than the actual name brand.

vickbenla

I only buy Aldi, instant coffee, butterfully spread, their kitchen towels, extra length toilet rolls, dog treats ( half the price of brand names) & my dogs only like Aldi Julius brand dry dog food, they won't eat any others. I shop fortnightly (as its 40km.to Aldi) & I have worked out I save at least $30 by buying those items at Aldi rather than buying brand names (which I don't like anyhow)

Anonymous

Most of the time the name brand is better then the home brand, but the home brand can also be a little better for you. Not much better mind you though.

carmz85

i really dont mind buying homebrand food or other stuff theres something i wouldnt buy like toilet paper or sanitary pads ..but over all there products are just as good..i have 4 kids so i shop on a budget

carmz85

i really dont mind buying homebrand food or other stuff theres something i wouldnt buy like toilet paper or sanitary pads ..but over all there products are just as good..i have 4 kids so i shop on a budget

Kateo97

I quite like home brand products as they are cheap, and for a person who is on a budget they are good supplements for the well-known brands. Although if I had the money, I would definitely choose the name brands over home brand any day. With products like soap and toilet paper I don't really care what brand I get, I usually get whatever is cheapest as those products don't matter as much. But with food I prefer the name brands as most of the time they taste a lot better. But it's not in all cases so yeah.

Kateo97

I quite like home brand products as they are cheap, and for a person who is on a budget they are good supplements for the well-known brands. Although if I had the money, I would definitely choose the name brands over home brand any day. With products like soap and toilet paper I don't really care what brand I get, I usually get whatever is cheapest as those products don't matter as much. But with food I prefer the name brands as most of the time they taste a lot better. But it's not in all cases so yeah.

Maginnus

Perhaps supermarkets could make some small 'sample packs' for us to try - it seems whenever I try something new it's not suitable/not as good/not what I wanted.. If they were to give away or even sell a smaller pack (for a smaller price) I'd try a lot more brands that I don't usually use - both Home Brands & Name Brands.

Anonymous

Many home brands are of a high quality, just doesn't have the price tag which comes with a brand name product

Anonymous

The home brands are a great idea because they are cheaper, and often healthier. In the case of cereals, the home brands are usually cheaper and less sugary that the proper brands. I believe this is better for families on a lower income, where obesity is higher

eyg

I have started buying some home brand food products , if you take time and read the ingredients on the packet you will find that some home brand foods are actually better ,eg..less fat .So give them a go I did and they taste great in some cases even better and not to mention its a cheaper product as well.

suzieq2825

I think that home brands are supermarkets efforts to make similar products more affordable for consumers while being more profitable for them. I have often found that the quality of these products is compromised in this. But there are also products that have seemed to meet the standard for me. It's very individual as to what things are "as good"

Anonymous

Home brand all the way

Anonymous

Home brand all the way

Anonymous

of all the home brands the only descent one i have tried is woolworths select. not all of them though, but some of them have much better natural ingredients than other name brands, like their coconut milk and jarred garlic. generally you get what you pay for. i like the boutique smaller companies and it's sad the bigger companies are putting them out of business because they have chosen not to stock them anymore.

Anonymous

i myself dont think the price has changed one bit still seems so high

Whitey almighty

I must say that the old Black and White or the No Frills. Were Just That. but some of the new Coles and Woolworthes are up there for me. I am Vego. My shopping is simple. it's just need staples like pasta, rice, flour's etc. they all work for me. I am also a chef. so I can make anything taste gourmet. Thats a Bonus for me. But where has the huney jumbles gone???

Anonymous

i believe that the home brands are pretty much the same and just as goood apart from a few of products.plus u save heaps with there cheaper prices.

JJsAngel

There are good and poor quality products in the home brands. It just depends on what you buy.

Anonymous

From ny experience, a lot of home brands are manufactured by reputable locl manufacturers who also market their own brands in competiom with tghe home brands. The formulation of the home brands is often nit so diffedrent bfrom the branded products.

Anonymous

I find the difference between Home Brand items and Named brand items are sometimes unnoticeable! with many trying to save that extra buck here and their many a time I find myself looking to score a bargain but questioning is that dollar cheaper loaf of bread or Home brand imported product or imported fruit & veg worth the dollar saved???
With many regards I would like to think many Australians try to shop locally or purchase produce of Australia and I think that is a concern of home brand products is the thought of where does this produce come from (National or international) and what hidden preservatives or extras are in the cheaper item but I think although their may not be any upfront differences in the taste, ingredients or amount with home brand compared to Named brands but I think the quality and support of Australian produce can be disregarded to just save that extra dollar, and in a future economy I think that extra dollar is a dollar worth spent if it is supporting home grown and produced products

Anonymous

I believe you get what you pay for..some products that are not a necessity I.e kitchen foil or gladwrap why pay extra money when you can buy homebranded products but things like food amd drinks I would always pick branded versions.

Anonymous

I cherish the times when there were those chocolate coco pops when we were kids.

Home brands are price friendly I guess, but sometimes the flavor of some like baked products can taste a bit wierd.

As said before, some of them can taste good, and some doesn't.

Jonda

I think some home brands are slightly up in the price range especially with what I would term 'luxury' items, eg ice creams, otherwise most are cheaper.
On the whole they are not as good as the named brands taste-wise. The bottom line is what is the use of buying something because it is cheap when you are not going to enjoy it and when the taste is not taste as good had you spent a bit more for the named brand that you know gives you that taste/flavour and enjoyment that is worth your money.
If the named brands are disappearing and being replaced by home brands

sam73

its not goods

Anonymous

No I don't think that some of the home brands are as nice as the named brands but some of them are not too bad....As I love my coffee first thing in the mornings is why I pamper myself and only buy the named brand.

Caity1999

Some home brand food are ok, but they would not be environmentally safe and the products could've come from unfair trade which is the reason they are so cheap. I am palm oil free and I only buy free range produce and fair trade produce. This means that I mainly buy unknown food from companies which makes grocery shopping very hard

PukPuk

Home brands are popular as most people go for price. The catch is the source of most of this cheaper product is from subsidised overseas locations meaning Australian producers and processors miss out on the essential sales proceeds to remain viable. Hopefully the recent issues surrounding SPC (and later Woolworths doing a deal) might send the message home - dont collectively whinge about losing your Australian jobs if on the other hand your spending pattern does not give some support the Australian employer/producer/processor.

PatB89

Things like Oats, Milk, Honey I have bought homebrand and have no problem. But I recently started buying cereal and chips (Doritos) with homebrand because I thought the difference wouldn't be so great, but it turned out to be a terrible decision. The variance is quite great in quality, really justifying the price you pay.

jenjenn2285

I like homebrand items. They are almost the same as other more expensive brands. But then some items are just horrible....oike their spaghetti :)

Anonymous

Home brand taste gross

Anonymous

You really have to experiment with the home brands. Some are excellent, while others are very ho hum!!

carmyandy

some of the home brands are just as good as the named brand or better but I find most times you will see a named brand on special for less then the home brand.

kristym86

i buy alot of homebrands due to lack of income, but most home brands are a name brand as i used to work in a food factory and they did name brand and homebrand but with the same thing. some i do not like but it is a matter of trying i suppose and your budget.

barney rubble

I have bought home brands for many years as having to budget I found it helpful. I have found over recent times the quality has become better. The Safeway crushed tomatoes are great for making spaghetti sauce. I buy no name as they are cheaper than Home Brands there is difference in price. No name instant porridge is fine I just add half water half milk, pinch of salt, as soon as porridge starts to boil ,simmer for a minute or two, make sure you stir so it doesn,t stick.
Also I leave excess porridge in the pot until cold, I find you scoop it out it doesn,t stick to the pot and the pot washes easy. Aldi,s instant mashed potato is great for topping shepherds pie if you haven,t any potatoes.

Anonymous

yes some home brand are still good, but it also denpends of your buget aswell, if you cant afford named brands then you have to settle for no names, also look carefully when buying no names

jess1111

To me it doesnt really matter what's on the box, as long as it tastes good I'm satisfied.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or cling wrap and alfoil, wash up detergent you can buy the good brands for things that matter more with taste like tinned pineapple or beetroot.

ozziedigger

I do miss the brand named products ,With home brand, i unnaturally think of cheap
wages,unhealthy manufaction methods or something along those lines.
Sales people tell me that it is made by the same company,and i think why would they do that? The home brands lack colour on their packaging. but the brand names are set up for their labels so the cost they would have would be high to cater for a new home brand label ? Is the product inferior ?
I don`t know for sure as i`ve never gone into it.But if the products are really cheap,
then i`m sure all us pensioners and unemployed would have to buy home brand.

Gravallan

I do not like Homebrands

Anonymous

'Home brands' are great because they are cheap, but you definitely taste the difference between the home brand and the name brand. The name brand is nearly always better. Occasionally I have found a 'home brand' that tastes better than the 'name brand' which is always great because it saves me money!

Anonymous

I have heard that a lot of the home brand products are made by the named brand anyway they are just the batch that didn't make the high quality cut. In some instances home brand products can be just as good as named brand products.

jess312

I like homebrand scotch fingers because they sometimes add extra butter to it :) Also coles' Special flakes in substitute of Kellogs' Special K is an excellent home brand alternative. Homebrands aren't that great sometimes but when there's a great product and a low price, I will buy it

pothum

Some of the name brands are better than the home brands, but some are just as good with a better price. It is just a matter of picking and choosing what suits you and the family.

missykkb

I think its good to try both because a lot of people don't have the money to buy good brands and its good ways to try home brands to save a lot of money as well with home brand things specially when you have kids

Anonymous

A lot of the sweets I used to eat as a child have for sure gone MIA on our supermarket shelves.. There was one in particular I remember that was a hard lolly on a stick that you could blow as a whistle, I haven't seen those for years! In regards to home brand products, I'm going to go against the grain here and say that I like them.. They are fantastic when budgets are tight, and lets face it, a lot of peoples budgets are becomming tight! And yes, they really are cheaper. I in particular like the coles home nrand products! They are exceptional value and keep good quality!

Anonymous

Home brand is worth due to the price. It is so cheap, most of time they are cheaper than name brand in promotion, that I generally buy them. In my opinion the quality is good, at the same level of the other ones. The only difference is that home brand generally don't have some many varieties, it is just the tradicional type, and in my case, for example, I like to try alternative products sometimes. Therefore, for milk, bread, butter, cereals, pasta and some other kinds I buy homebrand. Eventually, when I want to vary a little bit or when I find something in promotion I try another brand.

Kezaleigh66

Raising three girls on my own there was many times I had no choice but to use no brand but I would have to say a lot of no brands Have no taste rastay with brand names if u can except for tin food nd names they are only a couple of cents dearer They say you get what you pay fore and no matter the budget I have to say

Anonymous

i personally think that home brand items can be just as good if not better then most named brand items/foods.

Anonymous

I prefer normal bands then the cheaper brand most of them u can taste the difference ,

Anonymous

home brand are cheaper then named brand because it a cheap and ripoff version of the real thing, people prefer the good stuff then the cheap

marktime

Came a big gutzer with a home brand cordial last week but most of the staples are ok.

Anonymous

I tend to use the homebrands more when make a recipe that requires ceraels as an ingredient. As a breakfast cereal some of the homebrands have a higher sugar content.

Anonymous

some time they are just but not all the time as they are pack at the some place as the band name prouducts

Anonymous

Yesterday at my local Coles there was not a single competing brand in the health food section – I wanted to buy quinoa, flaxseed and chia. The only option I had was to buy the Coles homebrand. That’s not competition, it’s not good for me, it’s not good for small business and in the long run I don’t believe it’s good for the economy.

Anonymous

Yesterday at my local Coles there was not a single competing brand in the health food section – I wanted to buy quinoa, flaxseed and chia. The only option I had was to buy the Coles homebrand. That’s not competition, it’s not good for me, it’s not good for small business and in the long run I don’t believe it’s good for the economy.

kreative

I am concerned that the brands are being phased out that I won't have the choice. Home brands in some things are certainly okay and I buy them but some have higher sodium or sugar or thickeners, unhealthy oils etc.. As the brands are deleted, so do my options. This is important to me as I struggle with allergies and intolerances so it can be hard enough to find options but with no choice but home brands, I am going to find this even harder. I am also concerned with GMO's. Altered foods are the biggest ones I react to. Also, once the brands are gone, what will happen to the prices then? They will sky rocket. I am also concerned with the generics where the farmer gets bullied out of a fair deal. There needs to be a balance.

Anonymous

I have tried a lot of home brand and for me it is cheaper and they are good as well it is just the name that we pay for these name brand in my opinion the quality of home brand is the same to name brand

Anonymous

I have tried a lot of home brand and for me it is cheaper and they are good as well it is just the name that we pay for these name brand in my opinion the quality of home brand is the same to name brand

Blossom

So many companies' ownership has changed and brand names changed with them that is hard to keep up with. e.g. some products that were labelled Heinz are now labelled Wattie.
Home Brand or Generic Brand as some know them are made by manufacturers who make then Name Brands. There may be a different ratio of ingredients in some of them. The containers, especially those packed in glass or plastic are often very similar. We try the Generic brand items once. If we don't like them we don't buy them again. Please bear in Mind that .Woolworths private label is actually called Home Brand.

Anonymous

I think Home brand is ok depending on what it is your buying, food isn't always the best but cleaning product, tissues, animal food etc is all pretty okay :)

todski

I buy Coles everything, don't notice the difference

Jonda

I have always held the opinion that Home Brands are the final products of leftovers after the Name Brands are made. They taste obnoxious to say the least.
I believe home brands are an absolute poor substitute for the named brands. They are cheap because they are of sub-standard quality.
Please, refil the shelves with something fit for human usage and consumption.

Anonymous

I think sometimes people get sick of the same brands and like others like to move onto a different type of brand and try their products. Because of this issue the company will no long make that type of product and will make another product that everyone will try. With the word 'Home brand' makes people think of the product in a different way to the others, and most of the time the 'Home Brand' contains less sugars and fats than the other brands plus Home Brand will cost cheaper. But in the end brand of products don't stay on shelves forever, sooner or later people aren't going to buy their product, as the saying goes 'Out with old, in with the new.'

Anonymous

I think sometimes people get sick of the same brands and like others like to move onto a different type of brand and try their products. Because of this issue the company will no long make that type of product and will make another product that everyone will try. With the word 'Home brand' makes people think of the product in a different way to the others, and most of the time the 'Home Brand' contains less sugars and fats than the other brands plus Home Brand will cost cheaper. But in the end brand of products don't stay on shelves forever, sooner or later people aren't going to buy their product, as the saying goes 'Out with old, in with the new.'

bat2001

There are a couple of home brand products I buy, but with most foods I stick to brand name products, most home brand foods feel like they are missing something that is really necessary.

Sassy

Here in NZ they did a shopping survey to find products made and sourced in NZ. Well it was very interesting. The trolley was almost empty once they reached the counter and was an eye opener to me as the consumer. Now I regularly read the contents and where they are sourced. Home brand has become a popular buy in my house. At least most ingredients are sourced either here or in Australia and the quality is on a par with labelled brands. End of the day yes some products you cant beat that are labelled for quality BUT for everyday products like milk , butter etc home brand wins out every time in my house hold :-)

Anonymous

i dont mind some home brand stuff but i do love uncle tobys oats, wheeties flakes and coco bombs i think brand names taste better but are less good for you.

osbar

Having worked in a factory that produced unbranded items I know that it is actually a Brand Item but with a bigger margin of Specs. I do not have a problem with cheese, milk,eggs, salsa and taco mix in a no name as I am mixing other items with it but I dont use no name fish, cat food,bread, vegies as I realise the specs are different in these items and there could be a problem

Anonymous

Yes I feel that with todays economy we do need Home Brands which are not too bad for some products but certain products I wouldn't buy them in

Anonymous

my children loved the petits filous yogurts that we used to buy at Woolworths and Coles. They were a good size and had a little picture under the lid. Other brands are just too big and they don't have the excitement of the little picture under the lid.

Ingi

Some home brands like Woolworths individual packets of porridge in assorted flavours, I was surprised thought I would try them for a change as the Uncle Toby's was a lot dearer and I wanted a change in flavours, I found the home brand in porridge was very nice, because I cook porridge just for myself, hubby normally has eggs for breakfast; when the kids were small I would buy the named brands good old fashioned porridge that you cooked in a saucepan on the stove, nowadays the small package for one in the microwave is very nice indeed. It takes me 2 to 3 hours to shop in Woolworths (or Coles) because I read all the labels, try to buy Australian produce but that is not always possible, "packed in Australia from Australian and imported produce'' really puts the wind up me, everything nowadays is Money, Money, not happy with millions they want billions. Take me back to the good old days 50 years ago when one knew what you bought, were it came from and where it was manufactured, nowadays with a lot of things they say made in NZ but they don't mention that it came from China first, only packed in NZ, false advertising and I will not buy frozen vegies or any food from China. What happened to the good old days of Aussie foods?

Anonymous

I buy both of home brand and named brand. Some home brand products are good but named brand might have more quality than home brand. It depend on products.

Anonymous

ive recently discovered that aldi brands really are just fine instead of real normal brands, they really do do the job just right

Anonymous

The home brands are not always good but they are much cheaper than the named brands and I think the quality is more or less the same so I usually buy the home brands

Ashar

Yes, many the variety of brands has declined and been replaced by home brands on supermarket shelves. I would never buy home brands as the quality is not as good and most of the home brands are imported product. I no longer see Huggies fabric softener, Top Taste cakes, Rosella sauces and condiments. PMU soups, Harpers spices, Golden Circle jams, Wimmers softdrinks, Scotts insect spray, just to name a few that are no longer in my local supermarket.

Chels

I think home brank products are just as good as the named brand products. A lot of the time they actually have less sugar content in them aswell. Obviously there are reputable named brand products that people are always going to keep buying, but I think for products such as pasta, flour, etc, there is notthing wrong with buying home brand.

Anonymous

In general I am not a fan of "home brands", I guess it is mostly because you tend to grow up with favourite/traditional brands like Kellog's etc and it becomes ingrained in you to keep doing it.

I think one of the reason home brand items are a turn off is because of the plain packaging - it is almost as though certain contents or in fact the appearance of the product is trying to be hidden.

I think in general I like to visualise what I am going to do (eg if baking, cooking etc) and I have always preferred the tried and tested products that I know will work out how I want them to.

littletoot

Whilst some home brand items are of a similar quality as branded produce. I have yet to find a home branded product that is better than a well known brand. Coles and Woolworths have definitely become a retail dulopoly, forcing small supermarkets to bankruptcy or at the very least to financially struggle to maintain competitiveness. With their homebrand goods they are now also forcing local producers and manufactures to the wall so that they can make bigger profits and control the manufacturing arms as well. None of the strategies of Coles or Woolworths are done with the best interest of anyone else but themselves. They sell imported items disguised as Australian made, because the box is packaged here. Now I notice they are almost replicating the better brands packaging to get shoppers to pick up home brands by accident, not to be noticed till the shopper gets home. The products look the same and have similar packaging and are intentionall placed on the some shelf alongside the branded product.As much as possible I try to buy the original product if it is made locally or in Australia in the hope that more businesses do not go broke because of the unethical practices of Coles and Woolworths. I have a very low income and can ill afford to do this, but I feel better knowing I have done as much as I can to support original brans. others may say it is a waste of time or that it is inevitable that all other manufacturers will eventually go, but I will know at the end of the day thatI did what I could to support the local businesses. I still don't understand how Coles and Woolworths have managed to get away with what they do. Any other company would have been strangled by law suits.

Anonymous

well most home brand food are not to tastey but wen u get the good brands they taste better so u buy what u get realy

Anonymous

The evolution of the home brand products is a deliberate rip off aimed to eliminate or reduce market share of higher quality brand name products for the profiteering by supermarkets and the reduction in profits for farmers and input suppliers. This has been happening for many years. One personal example for instance: For many years I regularly bought Edgell canned mushrooms from my local Coles supermarket. This brand had three facings and was priced at around $1.15 for the small tin. One day I noticed it had risen in price to $1.25, then to $1.31 but there appeared on the shelf right next to it a 'Coles' tin of similar mushrooms for 98c. I have worked in supermarkets for a number of years and I could see that eventually the Edgell brand would slowly rise in price, have reduced shelf spacings and eventually be replaced by the 'Coles' brand. Sure enough, the Edgell mushrooms disappeared over several months only to be replaced by the 'Coles' brand but, at the Edgell price of $1.31. I think now it is around $1.50. This is only one example of the con that is happening in Coles and Woolies outlets I visit and it is happening on a large scale. IT is purely a con and consumers are possibly not aware of this blatant rip off. The quality is rarely the same, and now the choices are being eliminated. I refuse to buy the home brand products, purely on the basis that competition is being squeezed out and companies are going out of business, with many people losing their long term jobs because of this greedy ploy by the duopoly, which we have to put up with in this country. It is about time the ACCC got some teeth and did a better job of protecting the consumer, but more particularly the manufacturers of this country. A lot of the raw materials for home branded goods are being sourced from overseas which also, does not support our local farmers.

Anonymous

The evolution of the home brand products is a deliberate rip off aimed to eliminate or reduce market share of higher quality brand name products for the profiteering by supermarkets and the reduction in profits for farmers and input suppliers. This has been happening for many years. One personal example for instance: For many years I regularly bought Edgell canned mushrooms from my local Coles supermarket. This brand had three facings and was priced at around $1.15 for the small tin. One day I noticed it had risen in price to $1.25, then to $1.31 but there appeared on the shelf right next to it a 'Coles' tin of similar mushrooms for 98c. I have worked in supermarkets for a number of years and I could see that eventually the Edgell brand would slowly rise in price, have reduced shelf spacings and eventually be replaced by the 'Coles' brand. Sure enough, the Edgell mushrooms disappeared over several months only to be replaced by the 'Coles' brand but, at the Edgell price of $1.31. I think now it is around $1.50. This is only one example of the con that is happening in Coles and Woolies outlets I visit and it is happening on a large scale. IT is purely a con and consumers are possibly not aware of this blatant rip off. The quality is rarely the same, and now the choices are being eliminated. I refuse to buy the home brand products, purely on the basis that competition is being squeezed out and companies are going out of business, with many people losing their long term jobs because of this greedy ploy by the duopoly, which we have to put up with in this country. It is about time the ACCC got some teeth and did a better job of protecting the consumer, but more particularly the manufacturers of this country. A lot of the raw materials for home branded goods are being sourced from overseas which also, does not support our local farmers.

Kimbo

I never used to use homebrand, but now I will use homebrand a lot more, depending on what I am using it for. Yes you can get unlucky and have a bad product, but mostly homebrand are quite good

Michelle

I had worked in a cereal factory and the cereal in some sort of cereal is exactly the same product !! The machines are stopped boxes changed and started up again . One selling for $6 one selling $2 exactly the same product .

kiwimac

I agree, some home brands are indistinguishable from the home brands but others! Home brand / budget tinned spaghetti is an example, It is perfectly horrid.

Eugine

I buy home brands that are products of Australia or at least made in Australia.
Many brand name products come from overseas so i don't buy them.
Cost is not important if I am supporting Australian groqwers and manufacturers.

Anonymous

Name Brands are the go! they are different and original in flavour and priced reasonably. Which makes them popular and have a long shelf life. Homebrand doesn't come close to the real thing theyre a cheaper copy cat version of the real brand that even the poorest person wouldn't prefer.

R.J's King

I think it really depends so can be of equal quietly but most home brands can't compete with name brands for example I couldn't find the strawberry jam I normally get so I thought I'd try a home brand it was a lot cheaper but the quality wasn't up to scratch I still ate it and I didn't regret buying it but I decided I wouldn't buy it again on the other end of the scale I saw some super fancy jam on sale and thought I'd give it a try I found the quality was great the best jam I have ever had it had 55% real fruit compered to the home brand which only had 30% real fruit on the other hand the fancy stuff was about 3 time the price of the home brand so I think it's real up to you is the quality worth the price you decide

Anonymous

I don't normally buy home brand products until one day my sister introduced a home brand tissue to me. She said it is very good quality and cheap. So I tried it and I just realized that home brand was that bad. I bought a couple of times and now I'm still use named brand because they are always have a special time. So the price is little higher than home brand. I feel more trust named brand even some of them are not really good and I just change to another named brand.

Anonymous

I don't normally buy home brand until one day my sister introduced to me a home brand she bought and she said the quality is good. I tried it a couple of times and realized that the home brand was that bad. But most of the time I still buy named brand. I feel like I more trust it even sometime the products are not very good, and then I change to another named brand.

R.J's King

it depends sometime there just as good and sometime not but you can be sure there never better than the original

Ornum

Well there are but I have grown accustomed to similar products that are available and make do with them.
The home brands can be just as good or better in some cases and are normally a cheaper product.
Or they can lack the quality that you desire on occasion.
Not really most have been substituted with a similar product that is a cheaper option.

Anonymous

I believe that home brand is actually more worthwhile and affordable compared to named brands especially when it comes to families. Although the quality may be slightly lowered in certain cases such as cereals and snacks, it is quite valued and affordable.

abhorrentme

It really is hit and miss with Home brand vs name brand! A large percent of home brand are exactly the same and perform the same the name brands but then there are some that are cheap and nasty! It is all up to trial and error!

Anonymous

I dont like 'Home Brands' as I feel that they are putting smaller buisnesses out of work and I dont think the quality is as high. Still, it is a lot cheaper and for families who have low income its a great substitiution

jacko93

Yes there are plenty of brands that have just disappeared from the shelves, I prefer the original product instead of homebrand overseas products

jacko93

Yes there are plenty of brands that have just disappeared from the shelves, I prefer the original product instead of homebrand overseas products

Vibes

Dick Smith did warn us more than ten years ago that this was going to happen. Soon there will be around three product types ( No name - Select - Premium.) The pruducts we have all growen up on will eventually disappear as im sure you have noticed. fathers favorite sauce made a come back but my arnotts morning coffee seems elusive

Anonymous

I have found that the 'branded' items have lost a lot of shelf presence against many homebrands, e.g. confectionery and cereals, however I am still able to find the branded items if I look hard enough. There are many items I will continue to buy the branded version and not the cheaper substitute, particularly because often the price difference is not that great, however there are some items that I feel are just as good, branded or homebranded. I won't sacrifice quality for a cheaper product and to save a few cents

Anonymous

I have found that the 'branded' items have lost a lot of shelf presence against many homebrands, e.g. confectionery and cereals, however I am still able to find the branded items if I look hard enough. There are many items I will continue to buy the branded version and not the cheaper substitute, particularly because often the price difference is not that great, however there are some items that I feel are just as good, branded or homebranded. I won't sacrifice quality for a cheaper product and to save a few cents

Anonymous

Will purrchase anyhing honebrand as cheaper except butter

Anonymous

I purchase mainly homebrand products as much cheaper the only product i buy that is not homebrand is butte

Debbie1

Majority are ok they still come from we'll known makers just different packaging

jblow51

A lot of Home Brands are Ok but it is a 'try it and see' situation because some of them are very ordinary when it comes to flavour and quality.

Anonymous

After using a particular home brands we develop a certain kind of mind satisfaction with it.
So I think a named brand will not achieve that level of satisfaction we used to have for home brands.
But with time we get used to it.

CathY

I am a chef by trade and I absolutely do not agree with supermarkets taking away my right to choose and buy items that most often are far better quality than home brand products. Yes, there is a minimal amount of home brand items I will use but not many. It is the fact that my right to choose is decision that has been gradually decreasing.

Anonymous

Surprisingly and unfortunately Coles/woolworth brands are usually some what up there with brand names. Also I miss Norfolk punch...and In a particular coles near where I live All mineral water brands seemed to be replaced by coles brands which is really scary for the market place.

Anonymous

Surprisingly and unfortunately Coles/woolworth brands are usually some what up there with brand names. Also I miss Norfolk punch...and In a particular coles near where I live All mineral water brands seemed to be replaced by coles brands which is really scary for the market place.

Anonymous

Home Brand, because they both would have the exact same ingredients and same quality.

Anonymous

I find most Aldi brands very good or better in comparison to regular brands and cheaper.

AnxiousOne

I'm happy with most generic brands.
Sometimes there is a slight drop in quality, especially with tinned vegetables and fruits.
With other foods, I can't say that I've noticed a difference, or one worth worrying about.

Anonymous

I think home brands are as good as the named brands, and they are cheaper, so I would like to choose home brands things.

Anonymous

I was brought up with mostly brand name products but with increase of home brand products I have gained a liking to some of the home brand products. not only are they cheaper but have the same quality.

Anonymous

Yes there are more and more home brands now ,as supermarkets wont to introduce up to and possible exceeding 80% of their stores lines to home brands. .Simply to increase their bottom line.

rennie

I am not normally a home brand shopper, they have taken over too much of the market and our local producers/growers are missing out badly. I always check country of origin, local/imported products, ingredients then compare and make my purchase. 90% of the time I would end up choosing Australian Made over any homebrand including Coles/Woolworth brands. It seems it's all about the money.

Anonymous

i think home brands are just as good as the brand named foods, sometimes you can get homebrands which have an obvious differnce in taste to the brand named food, however mostly they are the better cheaper option for families on a budget.

Fran77

I have tried many home brands,some are O.K. but I still prefer to pay the extra and get the named brand.

emaddison

Honestly, every single home brand i have bought has been good quality.
I feel buying name brands is really just buying the name, i dont feel the need to go all out and spend ridiculous amount on money on name brands if the quality is no better.

heeleen

I buy some things in home brand, they are usually just as good, sometimes not so good, I find at the moment it seems the price between homebrand and name brand is rising and at times there is really no more than a few cents between them, which is pretty sneaky if you ask me as I always thought homebrand was supposed to be way cheaper.

Anonymous

Home brand products can sometimes be better than the named brand products but in some cases it is far worse tasting or far worse usability.

These days it's getting harder to save, so I prefer to buy home brand products to save money and you get use to them after a while.

Anonymous

Mostly buying home brands

Mish71

I have no problem with most home brand items but my fussy partner like name brand only.

Anonymous

i have found a lot of the home brands to be of excellent quality, unfortunately we have 2 major companies ie Coles and Woolworths that have too much influence and slowly removing other brands.

Anonymous

Ashar

I never buy home brands most of which are imports and the quality not as good as Australian product. If we are to have a food processing industry in this country people should support the industry by only buying name branded products that are Australian made.

dee

I am sure that home brands are ok the ones like coco pops, cornflakes, breakfast bricks etc are'nt as nice as the brand ones. But saying that I love the homebrand museli that I buy from coles. it is cheaper and tastes must nice than any of the brand items that I have tried before

Missy Sarah

I don't like the way that our favourite brands are disappearing off the shelves in preference for the home brands. I think both should be on the shelves otherwise we will lose the favourite brands altogether.

rodz

home brand is cheap ,named brands are quality for money not value for money

Anonymous

There are quite a number of home brands that are ok, although it is a bit dissapointing when a brand disappears off the shelf that I have bought / used before for many years. I believe the main supermarkets in this country are pushing for their home brand label and eventually will most probably not stock many of the other brands as we are already seeing. Hence thats why a cheaper price is tagged on their home brand items so the consumer will try them being more affordable to many people / families - my concern although is that if many of the other brands eventually come off their shelves that perhaps we all will be paying a higher price for their home brand products in the future giving us not much choice but to buy only their brand.

Anonymous

i dont like the homebrand they r cheap and dont taste to good.at coles and wooles now they have move homebrand and r making us buy what thay supply which is ony a few ranges,they dont give you any choices anymore.

Cappy

Home brands have been around for some time. Once you've learnt which ones are good, you can generally stick with them.

Anonymous

You have to experiment with brands, some homebrands are the real deal you are just saving a heck of money! Whereas sometimes you get that nasty, you know it was worth the amount you paid for. I never put my nose up to home brands I love a good deal and I am not going to waste more money on something just because it "looks" nicer.

Anonymous

You have to experiment with brands, some homebrands are the real deal you are just saving a heck of money! Whereas sometimes you get that nasty, you know it was worth the amount you paid for. I never put my nose up to home brands I love a good deal and I am not going to waste more money on something just because it "looks" nicer.

davo55

i must say that sum home brands are ok but most times i like to buy name brands

Anonymous

I love home brand a lot cheaper and still great

taracharles

in my opinion it is a 50/50 chance of getting same quality to worse quality since I buy a lot of home brand I find certin items are not as good though the chances of the product that is homebrand being used with imported products or gmo products is a higher risk.

Anonymous

I think that when it comes to breakfast it is most important meal of the day, so therefore I think that breakfast should be good quality. when it comes to home brands and normal brands it is simple u just have to look what is in it because I may be cheaper but there might be a bit more nasties in it.

dianridge

home brand products are ok.I was told sometime ago when a family memeber used to work for franklins was given a list of no name products owned by franklins were actually last production line from areas like edgells, golden circle, etc
I was amazed by the list

Ness76

YES , THere are items in certain brands that i got on a regular basis and now I cant find them. I have been forced to purchase the more expensive brand.
I am a regular shopper of no name brands. I try everything once and if its tasteless I move up to the next cheapest item similar. I am all about keeping money in my pocket as I have four children so I simply cant afford name brands. They would easly add no less than $50 to my fortnight bill.

Anonymous

I have not noticed any brands that are no longer available in my supermarket. Instead, there has been an increase in "hombrands" on the shelves. I think these are just as good as the named brands, not only because they are generally of the same quality, but they are also cheaper. This makes them a suitable product for the average family home on a budget.

Anonymous

the home brands are no were near as good as named brands because they completely change the product

Anonymous

I prefer home brand in everything except toilet paper, washing powder and fabric softener. It's cheaper to buy home brand and tastes the same as the other brands.

Anet

Have you now notice how the home brand products are now using nearly the same packaging to the brand products?
It is quiet annoying there is a less amount of variety to choose from now off the shelves these days.

Cornelia

The normal home brands ingredients are usually of poor quality, and compromise the quality of the final product/meal you have made.I find "Select" home brands products are of good quality, but I still prefer buying named brands.

Anonymous

I think home brand is a good brand in the market to cater to wide variety of needs and it produces affordable, decent quality products that are cheaper than name brands. However, there is the occasional loss of that unique, personal touch that is provided by name brands. Therefore, there should be a fair balance between home brand products and name brands in the market.

Anonymous

yr

Jan

I am getting increasingly fed up with the proliferation of home brands. I refuse to buy them on principle. It was ok years ago when they were just a cheaper alternative for the basics like sugar, flour etc. Now the home brands are definitely pushing the named brands off the shelves. If not disappearing altogether, they are being forced to narrow their range to be competitive. Also I dislike the sneaky way the home brands go about it by using the same colours, designs etc as the named brands so that sometimes you actually buy them by mistake. I don't really care if the quality is as good, it's the whole underhanded way of doing it that irks me.

Magus

I have tried the Home Brand several times and just recently I bought the Select version of the Crunchie Nut cornflakes and was disappointed again. I am on a pension and am always looking for the cheeper alternative, however I am usually disappointed and revert to the Name Brand.

chemosa

Having in the past worked for one of the two major supermarkets, as a Night Manager.

I am fully aware, of what stock is delivered, and the fact is generic products are delivered on the same palates as their NAME siblings.

My understanding is that the generic products are for the most part identical, except for minor imperfections, such as appearance, or packaging.

Consumable products may not have the full compliment of ingredients, but are always safe to eat, and in some cases, depending on personal preferance, better tasting.

One example of my personal taste, is Choc Chip Cookies, I find the generic more appealing than the Name product.

Another example for those with pets, is that the matket is dominated by very few Manufacturers, and the perception of a better quality product may well be, because of the packaging.

Simply, don't show your pet the packaging.

Washing Detergents etc, are the same.

I suggest blind testing, and if you cannot tell the difference, buy the cheapest.

As for items disappearing off shelves, probably because they cannot compete against identical products, sold more economically.

Don't let snobbery, cost you money, if it tastes good, works well, and satisfies it's purpose, buy the cheapest.

Five star restaurants, don't show you what ingredients they are are using.

chemosa

Having in the past worked for one of the two major supermarkets, as a Night Manager.

I am fully aware, of what stock is delivered, and the fact is generic products are delivered on the same palates as their NAME siblings.

My understanding is that the generic products are for the most part identical, except for minor imperfections, such as appearance, or packaging.

Consumable products may not have the full compliment of ingredients, but are always safe to eat, and in some cases, depending on personal preferance, better tasting.

One example of my personal taste, is Choc Chip Cookies, I find the generic more appealing than the Name product.

Another example for those with pets, is that the matket is dominated by very few Manufacturers, and the perception of a better quality product may well be, because of the packaging.

Simply, don't show your pet the packaging.

Washing Detergents etc, are the same.

I suggest blind testing, and if you cannot tell the difference, buy the cheapest.

As for items disappearing off shelves, probably because they cannot compete against identical products, sold more economically.

Don't let snobbery, cost you money, if it tastes good, works well, and satisfies it's purpose, buy the cheapest.

Five star restaurants, don't show you what ingredients they are are using.

s

I try to purchase Australian brands only. But branded food is a better quality I have found over the years. You pay for quality!!!
I have found that the supermarket brands have their homebrand and another brand so sometimes they have two supermarket brands that is why there is more supermarket branded stock on the shelf.

Mersie

It all depends what your buying,things like sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and a lot of others are ok, but I would never buy cereal, and spagetti and baked beans seem to have a lot of sauce and not much else, but it just depends, I like quality ice cream eg Bulla, but cheese and cream in home brand is ok. So much of a much

chips48

I have yet to discover a home-brand product that come anywhere near as good as brand name products. It really annoys me when you go to buy something you've bought for 20 years or more, and suddenly it's no longer available and there is a home-brand product in its place. The home brand products should be an extra product to choose from, not a replacement for something that is iconic and has been around for ages and ages.

janet

I have discovered a nice cerial in the coles brand that is cheaper than the name brand and is the exact some cerial.

mismoo

Well I'll be honest. I'm a snob when it comes to shopping. I'll Homebrand eg: Woolworths Select for some items such as toilet paper, tissues and throw away items but for foodstuffs I mainly stick to brand name if I can. On the odd and I mean odd occasion I'll buy a Select Brand from Woolworths but never from Coles or Aldi .

flower

yes I think they are as good as brand names, particularly products such as sugar, flour, etc.

J9

I think home brands are just as good as name brands in most things. Canned items seem to be an exception to this and I find they tend to be of a poorer quality in taste and value for money. Loo paper in home brand doesn't really work out cheaper either as you use more because its only one ply. Margarine, milk and even bread are all just as good and heaps cheaper. I haven't really noticed anything missing but now I'll be keeping my eye out.

sandy

There are more home brands on the shelf and I am concerned when buying for the first time if they are as good as the name brand? Also if the ingredients are as natural as some named brands. Also I like to know I am purchasing Australian made products and this all takes time when you need to check where as you may already know a named brand you've used before is an Australian product.

Nancy

I avoid buying "home brands" everytime I find my favourite brand is missing. The self raising Flour that I had used for many years has completely left the shelves. I was devestated that something I relied on heavily was not available. Therefore I have had to change to another brand which has a reputable name.I certainly do not feel as confident with my cooking as I used to be in the past. Hopefully this one will stay around because I refuse to settle for the "no name".

clutterbug

Yes, there are definitely more home brands and less named brands at my local supermarket. I think the thing I resent the most about this is that my right to decide is being eroded. On the whole I prefer named brands because I believe the quality is better a lot of times. I also feel strongly that I need to support independent producers. They are slowly being forced out of the market by the big 2, and then we end up with no competition and a monopoly.

Bel

I do buy alot of homebrand products anyway (as I find most are comparitive for quality and usually cheaper)... however I will say the "brand name' items I do purchase are getting a bit 'lost' on the shelf and are getting harder to find...

Anonymous

mumtime

Our shelves at Woolworths are overrun with homebrand products. A lot of the branded products I used to buy are no longer available in our local store and because we live 3 hours (one way) from the city centre, I stock up when I go there. They seem to think that because we live in the country they can have a monopoly over branded products. I do use some of them, but most of them cannot compete quality wise with a branded product.

beavis

I don't mind some home brand items on the shelves but I still want to have the choice of whether I wish to purchase them or not. In some instances we are now not given a choice and a lot of the regular brands that we know and love are slowly disappearing. My concern with a lot of these home brands is where the good is sourced from. If it is Australian I am OK with it but otherwise, I am not a fan.

Sheree

In most cases Home Brands are ok. It is just the few where you get what you pay for. I havnt bought home brand biscuits in a long time, maybe they have got better?

feefee

Coles are the worst culprit for stocking 90% homebrand products. They are not Australian made. The only thing that is a "'local'' product is the packaging. I used to be a homebrand shopper but now I always go for the named brands.

Blossom

Coles are the worst culprit for stocking 90% homebrand products. They are not Australian made. The only thing that is a "'local'' product is the packaging. I used to be a homebrand shopper but now...

A lot of their products are Australian Made. They are made by manufacturers of big name national companies and on the same machinery. In some cases there may be a different ratio of the ingredients. e.g. A couple I know both worked for a company in Adelaide (in fact I live across the road from their original factory was) that processed and packed dried fruit. One of them was in Quality Control. The generic brands have a different ratio of fruit in them.

shaper

I do use some homebrand products as they are less expensive, but I always have to check as I have found that sometimes they are more expensive than the names item. I find that if I stick to the homebrand items that cannot be altered ttoo much like paper-towels or toilet rolls and such like they are useful and cheaper.

jude21

I used to work in a food factory that made well known brands and home brands for stores as well. All we did was change the packaging not the product itself when we made the home brands. The company didn't make them for profit as there was little in it but it was better than another rival company getting that share of the market instead. I think that it is mainly psychological that people think that as its cheaper, it must be an inferior product.I always buy home brands and can not tell the difference in most cases.

Violetpatricia

The firdst thing I look at is where the product is made. If it is not made in Australia I do not buy.

mary

I do NOT buy any "home" brands. They are owned by monopolies that actually run our country from petrol to food. I also try not to purchase petrol at Coles or Woolworth stations. I believe in the "little" person and want my money to keep them in business. If stores like IGA, Ritchies etc do not have the items I want I
try to use my imagination and have an alternative I can use. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion. Mary L

mary

I do NOT buy any "home" brands. They are owned by monopolies that actually run our country from petrol to food. I also try not to purchase petrol at Coles or Woolworth stations. I believe in the "little" person and want my money to keep them in business. If stores like IGA, Ritchies etc do not have the items I want I
try to use my imagination and have an alternative I can use. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

Barb

IGA are not overrun with home brand as yet and I was surprised to find out how many Aus. products Aldi stock. The others I avoid for multiple reasons. Some home brands are as good as the branded products and some are not so good.

hispania

They sell home brands to make greater profit. What is it about home brands that makes them cheaper for the store to produce? Is it cheaper ingredients, lower labour costs or cheaper quality control etc? The supermarkets aren't doing it for our benefit - it's so they can make more money. I find many of the store brands don't taste as good or the quality is inferior even if the packaging is now classier. Many of my favorite brands have disappeared or are never on the weekly specials list.

K13

gone are the days when generic brands were there to help people keep their shopping bill down. they are expensive, the quality is not as good and they are taking over the shelves which leaves us with much less to choose from

i wont buy generic brands because supermarkets are just getting greedier and greedier

Milburnd

I feel that some home brand aren't has good as the name brand cheap and nasty

M

If my pocet cant afford my usual brand but if I cant then its homebrand. However, I will only buy Wattes product, its all in the sauce, no brand does it better than Watties.

M

For me it depends on my financal circumstances. If I can't afford my usual brand and the homebrand is cheaper than I'll buy homebrand. However, I'm not loyal to homebrand but I will not buy anything other than Watties. I will only buy be loyal to Watties only.

Anonymous

Yes I agree with Julie. Some Homebrands appear to be slightly sub standard to other well known ones. I find the bread for instance goes dry after only one day.

joan

I've yet to find a generic brand better than the original.

bushie

There seems to be a lot more Store branded cereals now than before and a few oof the cereals I usually buy for the family are getting harder to find.Many times I have to go to more than one store just to do my grocery shopping, not so long ago you could go shopping and do what you needed in a short time and now it takes me a lot longer as there is too many no name brands and less ans. Some things I get are home branded but usually not as the quality is just not there in a lot of their items the better known brands are on the norm more of a quality than the stores own brand

sammychef

I think it comes down to application of product.. often medication is far cheaper home brand but the dose is half of the name brand.. but everything else is personal preference. ..

Jen

I only use home brands for non-food items as I am not always sure that they are as good as brand names. For lunchwrap etc products they work fine. For food you need the quality of good products.

Violetpatricia

Yes there are a lot of brands that I used to buy that have been replaced by home brands. If my preferred brand is not available I will give the home brand a go but very often I am disappointed by the taste/quality. My favourite brand of herbs & spices have disappeared to be replaced by the store brand and I must confess these are good but just recently my preferred cheese is no longer available but has been replaced by store named brand. I'm fussy about the cheese so I tried to buy at another supermarket but they were out of stock. I would like to be able to make the choice of buying the named brand or the store brand but the choice has been removed.

Jen

Woolies / Coles homebrand, woolies / coles upmarket homebrand and then search for any other brand that is NOT made overseas! Shopping is a DRAMA.
My concern is once the 'named' brands are eliminated what happens to the prices of the 'home brands'?
At least IGA (first choice) have a selection followed by coles and forget the wilting 'fresh food people'.
I feel that a few extra pennies spent now could save heaps in the future, I just wish others would look at it that way. I know it means that there is not enough to buy a bottle of vino - but I would prefer a non-monopolised future over a glass.

Thanks for letting me on the soap box

jvanes

I never buy home brands if I can avoid them, as most are made overseas and are inferior to locally produced ones. Unfortunately both Coles and Woolworths keep removing my favourite brands and I am having to visit several different supermarkets and contacting the makers of products to find where they are stocked, which I am determined to do, as I will not have supermarket managers dictating to me what I eat. Even the organic brands of beans which I eat a lot, being vegetarian, have changed in both supermarkets and their new own brand organic beans taste disgusting.
I have been asking the local health food store to order in items I really like when they are no longer available in the supermarkets and prefer to support small local businesses anyway. The supermarkets will lose my custom altogether if they continue to push businesses out and only sell their own brands.

kiwinutter

I am forced, due to financial restraints, to purchasing whatever is cheapest! :(
Most of the time there is no difference between home brands and the name brands. Except when it comes to "budget" - a lot of the Budget brand stuff is definitely inferior!

snakewoman

WARNING
The "no name" brands have been a plan of the 2 big supermarkets for years now.
Slowly introducing them, as the well known brands go away, slowly...

The big plan for those 2 big supermarkets being in another 5 years to have a total monopoly on just about all we need to buy.

So they can forever increase the massive mark up, and we..the silent people of Australia, can either pay 400% too much, or...go without

The Govt MUST get fair dinkum and stop this before Australia has no farmers left.... And most of our farming land gets sold to China...

But..our Govt. are too busy at the moment...bickering amongst each other and being paid to waste time....
...before they resign,get sacked or retire, on a hefty pay out...

snakewoman

WARNING
The "no name" brands have been a plan of the 2 big supermarkets for years now.
Slowly introducing them, as the well known brands go away, slowly...

The big plan for those 2 big supermarkets being in another 5 years to have a total monopoly on just about all we need to buy.

So they can forever increase the massive mark up, and we..the silent people of Australia, can either pay 400% too much, or...go without

The Govt MUST get fair dinkum and stop this before Australia has no farmers left.... And most of our farming land gets sold to China...

But..our Govt. are too busy at the moment...bickering amongst each other and being paid to waste time....
...before they resign,get sacked or retire, on a hefty pay out...

Mona78

I think it depends on the homebrand. For example, personaly I think most of the Coles brand are just as good if not better than big brands. But then again it does also depend on the product...staple good are pretty much the same.

celebrity

I'm not fussed with the home brands which are appearing on the shelves more frequently. I find the quality to be lacking in substance and the portions sizes much smaller, example; 2 minute noodles. I have also found if one has a problem with them and contacts them via address on packet one rarely gets a reply. The packaging whilst bland which isn't a concern breaks more easily or tears when packing items away in the pantry also. The taste of some items lacks flavour also. I much prefer brand names but I have noticed especially in major supermarkets brands like Edgell frozen vegetables etc seem to keep disappearing along with brand named tinned pineapple. It is getting harder and harder to find the brands I choose to buy.

kaz007

I haven't noticed any brands missing but yes there are a lot more Home brand items. Some Home brand items are good but I have tried some things that I wouldn't buy again.

kath

I prefer to buy named brand some of the no name is terrible i prepared to pay the extra money then i know what i,m getting

smitzer

Its really a matter of taste, there are some products that I like and others that I dont like in the home brands, I fully believe you get what you pay for and I dont mind paying that little bit extra to get a stronger solution in cleaners or more taste in my food, each to their own.

unibomba17

There are some Homebrand product that are ok. I buy mainly Brand product though. I have noticed there is a lot less variety of branded product to choose from now.

Anonymous

i dont think it matters

cas

I find some of the home brands not nearly as good. Often the goods are somewhat "watered down" compared to the original brands I would buy, though the home brands may be a little cheaper the product is in fact, not as good. Lacking in quality. I was searching for a particular product at my usual supermarket recently to find it had just disappeared off the shelf! No longer stocked, but a home brand replacing it was not even the same product. Really disappointed. I would rather pay more for quality goods.

Anonymous

I tend to vary between products. Cereals and spreads I always go with a brand because the taste I prefer is there. When it ocmes to cheeses and other dairy products however, I am happy to purchase the home brand. Depends on the individual product.

Anonymous

Home brands are cheaper simply because they use cheaper ingredients. Supermarkets are producing their own brands because it more money in their own pockets. We are seeing more and more of these home brand products hit the shelf and less of the named brands. It is also cheaper for supermarkets to stock their own products so again they are making alot of money this way

Anonymous

Home brands are cheaper simply because they use cheaper ingredients. Supermarkets are producing their own brands because it more money in their own pockets. We are seeing more and more of these home brand products hit the shelf and less of the named brands. It is also cheaper for supermarkets to stock their own products so again they are making alot of money this way

rebeccakpierce

I do get home brands wherever possible and wherever I know they are the exact same product. Canned peas are canned peas. In some cases I find the home brand version to be even better. Working at my parents supermarket for many years, I learned that the most part of the difference betweeen prices is just the cost of advertising. The consumer has to pay for the labeling, the fancy jar, the advertisements, the sales reps wages.
With the cost of living being at the level it is, it seems silly to pay more for the same product. Most people don't realise this though

Anonymous

Home brands are good but some times you taste a difference to what you are expecting.

Anonymous

Home brands are good but some times you taste a difference to what you are expecting.

Anonymous

I think it depends what you use home brand products for! they are much cheaper although people can buy named brand items for discount prices if they know where to look

Anonymous

I personally think named brands are better because home brands generally taste less good. However, you do find a few home brand gems. It really depends on the item you buy.

harl

i think it doesnt really matter what you buy, we all get cheated we all suffer, and yet it i take thishome brand vs named brand, its exactly the same as if i offered you a car battery with brand on one and nothing on the other, there both the same but your more inclined to buy the one you know

Anonymous

i think it doesnt really matter what you buy, we all get cheated we all suffer, and yet it i take thishome brand vs named brand, its exactly the same as if i offered you a car battery with brand on...

Their ok. But some supermarkets are replacing all the normal ones with homebrand, select and no frills. Home brands are cheaper then the others. But not as good as the normal products without the homebrands

Anonymous

I don't buy home brand I think they are cheap and nasty , I know everyone says it's the same with different packaging but I don't think so

Jeski

I actually buy both name brand and generic depending on the ingredients. My family have some food tolerances and I frequently find that some of the things that set them off are not in the home brand products which makes them safer for my family to eat. The only choc milk powder that we can buy is the Woolies home brand one and it is $3 a time so that really works for me. But I personally love the Cadbury chocolate powder that sticks in your throat and clumps in your glass so I buy that just for me from time to time!! That said there are some wonderful products that have disappeared over the years and are never replaced by anything of reasonable quality or for a reasonable price, like tomato magic where oh where did it go?

Nayme

home brand is good enough for me for certain things and a lot cheaper.

Carmel51

Sometimes if you have time to read the labels you will see that the home brand version is produced at the same place.

Anonymous

Somethings are ok, but there are some shockers. Best ting is buy and try. There has also been things that are no different between brand names and home brand. Buying products that are here in Australia is best, but it's not easy when your on a budget.

PGS

Depends what it is. We prefer Jatz, but will buy the Aldi one sometimes.
Somethings there should be no real difference, but pastry & dough items can have a wide difference in flavour.
Some canned products have more water/juice/sauce as a home brand.
Pizza should be much the same everywhere - the Aldi one we bought once & NEVER again. It was disgusting. The branded ones are usually light on toppings, so by the time that is corrected & re-heated you may as well have bought Pizza Hut or Dominos. Good thing I prefer to make mine.

Anonymous

I think home brands can be very good, I do buy them.

woody077

Yes most of the home brand products are just as good as brand names and they cost less. Yes some products are going missing but there are also new products br made. Personally if l like the home brand product l have no problem buying it then my dollar goes futher.

Anonymous

Home brand to me though imitates branded products sometimes do taste the same though you can actually notice the difference in quality

Carolyn P

Homebrands are everywhere now, especially amongst the two majors (Coles and Woolworths). I've found the quality to be fairly suspect in most: generally cheaper, lower-quality imported foods. I prefer brands, but they are getting harder to find. Many of my friends have switched to independent supermarkets such as Foodland (SA), Drake, IGA, etc. as a form of protest against too many supermarket brands taking over the shelves.

emmadave123

Well I try to shop for store brand or home brands to try to save money but still get a great quality for our family. When your talking right across the board, there are some home brands that I believe are better than others and I will not buy, for instance I believe Black and Gold are the worse and most expensive of the home brands or store brands. Aldi has great value store brand items which are part of my necessity shop. But then there are store brand items such as Muesli bars at Aldi that are in my mind not very tasty so I will source them from another shop. Coles home brand muesli bars are better than Woolworths. I find that the quality if just as good if not better than some of the brand name items. Such as arnotts shapes, I didn't realise how hard they are as I only buy them on special as I get the Aldi ones, great quality, taste and value for my family. I am a bargain shopper.

Elle38

When I first moved out I brought home brand everything :) I definitely agree that home brand can be just as good as brand name items, you just need to give it a go and see what u prefer. For me it's a question of is it really that much better that I'm willing to pay an extra $2 or $3 or sometimes more for it. Coles brand is my personal favourite. Speaking of brands I can't believe Vegemite isn't Australian owned any more. Dick smiths version ozemite just isn't the same :)

Lynstar59

This is a double sided coin issue as most of the branded lines also produce the home brand products. In most cases it's fine to use the homebrand product as it is often as good as the branded lines. The issues become a problem when the homebrand products start to be imported for overseas & the branded & "Australian Made?" products start to disappear from the shelves. Also some products state that they are distributed by an Australian company using ingredients from overseas but sometimes you really have to look hard to find this wording on the package.

Lynstar59

This is a double sided coin issue as most of the branded lines also produce the home brand products. In most cases it's fine to use the homebrand product as it is often as good as the branded lines. The issues become a problem when the homebrand products start to be imported for overseas & the branded & "Australian Made?" products start to disappear from the shelves. Also some products state that they are distributed by an Australian company using ingredients from overseas but sometimes you really have to look hard to find this wording on the package.

Aussieann

Sometimes these products are made by the same factories just boxed differently as big companies buy in bulk.

frannymanny

I have reduced my use of manufactured products so much that I hardly use any of the branded products that I would have used 20 years ago.
I make my own cleaners and grow my own fruit and veg which I bottle, preserve, freeze etc. I don't bake bread,biscuits and cakes like I used to so I don't need the flour,sugar and shortening that I would have once used.
Powdered milk and rolled oats are much of a muchness as far as brand is concerned. I do tend to buy milk with murray goulburn provinance though because I believe the dairy farmers are being crushed by cheap milk wars.
I really do not want to spend money at the supermarket unless it really truly is something I cannot produce myself. I have affection for old brands but that is all

surahi111

Everyone has the right to get high quality products.

Anonymous

My two girls adore the Homebrand Woolsworth and Coles Party Pies better than 4 and 20 and all other more expensive brands

Anonymous

i think it doesnt really matter what you buy, we all get cheated we all suffer, and yet it i take thishome brand vs named brand, its exactly the same as if i offered you a car battery with brand on...

Do you realize that most processed foods contain absolute toxic poisons that come out of a Laboratory esp M.S.G. flavor enhancers are a toxic cocktail that over excites the brain & tricks the brain into making you think that this crud tastes wonderful!!! It was discovered by the Japanese who put it their troops food which was quite awe-full & now all manufactures use this in their highly processed foods!!! Why do you think that Cancer Rates are going through the roof it's in our Food, so many numbers that are toxic & allowed in our foods it's criminal but then again it's the NWO Agenda 21 blue print for population reduction!!!! Go research & you will find it's 100% TRUE Wake up to the poisoning of our food, water, air ( Chemtrails) & the Vaccines Avoid KFC Mcdonalds Diet coke, Zero coke, & Pepsi Max, all contain Aspartame a deadly toxin that hasn't even been approved for humane consumption!!! it was discovered while working on a bio chemical. I can only warn you BUT Remember you are what you eat!!! You have been warned.

Di

As a pensioner I have tried the Home Brand against the Named Brands and find there is very little difference between the both. The only one I have to stick to Brand name is Soy Milk and washing powders as I have a skin condition that is not forgiving if I use a brand unknown. The same with Prescription Drugs.

Di

I am on a disability pension and what I would have bought in Brand Products has had to change. In this change I found that most of the products were the same as the named products. Surprise to find this the only product I won't change is my washing powder after testing others because of my skin condition. Also I have to stick to the known brands on my Pharmacy products as there is no subituite for these

Anonymous

I have certainly noticed some particular brand products that are no longer on the shelf, some of which I have missed and have to source at other supermarkets.
Having limited time I often can't get around searching for the brand I know and enjoy, so i feel I've been forced into homebrand options!
Having said that I am often surprised at the homebrand quality as a replacement!
I have been dissapointed with some products but the price point is reasonable and find myself just trying to deal with it for the savings..

Lolz

I think home brands can be just as good, but sometimes you need to pay more and get the named brands if the quality isn't there.

maggie31

I purchase no name brands with all stamples like flour , milk bread sugar ect and find no difference , i am hesitant to buy homebrand products though for personal higiene and baby care though i have never tried

Anonymous

I think there are some home brand items that are as good as the known name brands.
Substituting some items in each shop helps to save money and stretch the budget further.
At the current time it would seem most house holds are conscious of being economical, thereby ensuring that there will continue to be a market for home brand products

Joelle

Home brands these days are mostly very good. Saves money that can be used to help with cost of living elsewhere. Some things like tuna are not so great home brand so our family sticks with brand names for these purchases.

muzzle

In my experience most home brand items are indistinguishable from branded items, eg. milk, cheese and butter. Breakfast cereals are the exception, with home brand 'corn flakes, being a bit ordinary. I buy a lot of home brand items to save money, as I am now surviving mainly on a Government pension.

Rocky

Yes they are really they are the same but in a different pagage???

edwin ian

some are ok when its obvious that the package is made in same factory

Anonymous

I have tried the Aldo Rice Bubbles and I would confirm that these are as good as normal brands. I have also tried some of the home brands which I did not like.

Anonymous

Well you see I can still find the products that I still like but once I went to Woolworth's and ate this choclaty stuff and it was really nice so it's a give and take thing

wanny

I use mostly homebrand products because it is cheaper as I have 8 in my family with 6 of those being males. but I still have particular brand name products I use because it tastes better than some of the home brand products

NiftyNev

Some of the home brand items are actually made by the name brand companies & are quite good, however it is a bit of a chance you take at times trial & error.
Some are really quite good & tend to stay the same, then all of asudden it appears they have changed suppliers & the item just isn't the same.

Anonymous

I COMPLETELY AGREE! It is absolutely ridiculous! Some of the home brand products are nice and cheaper but alot of them are a smaller weight, don't taste anywhere near as good and they may be cheaper but not by much. Whats really starting to annoy me about the home brands is that theres like 3 different types. WHY???? and I have found that the more expensive home brand is actually more expensive than the name brand products!!!

Bass

None that I can think of, but I think the home brands are the same in most cases.

Anonymous

As Australians we have to boycott Cole's & Woolworths home brand Products, not only will you help save what's left of our farming & Manufacturing you will hurt their Bottom line!! Over 90% of home brand labels are from China they have no food safety standards what so, ever they grow their foods in toxic soils their fish in polluted waters full of sewerage & chemicals & that's no Lie use the most powerful Tool for seeking the Truth the Internet & research yourself. Another way to help you buy Australian Or New Zealand products is to look at your bar codes esp the first 2-3 numbers if it starts with 93 its Australian if it's 94 it's NZ If it's 690,691-695 all made in China!!! Don't forget Hong Kong is China as well, 471 is made in Taiwan. Do not buy their fish either their are bread in the most disgusting polluted water I have ever seen!!! Another one is Fish which says product of Canada it is from China only the Coating & Packaging are done in Canada!! When the product says made from local & imported ingredients you can bet your life it's from china!!! So if you want to help save our jobs & protect your Health Avoid these Home Brands like the Plague & spread the word to every one!!!! A very Concerned Australian!!!

Anonymous

thanks dynamo for the information about GMO - not nice! I will certainly be on the lookout for where food comes from and the additives in future. I will tell my friends and family also to check the...

Thank you Shelly, I feel good knowing that I have helped you become more aware you take care as well Dynamo.

shelly47

thanks dynamo for the information about GMO - not nice! I will certainly be on the lookout for where food comes from and the additives in future. I will tell my friends and family also to check the...

thanks dynamo for the information about GMO - not nice! I will certainly be on the lookout for where food comes from and the additives in future. I will tell my friends and family also to check the labels etc. Take care.

Anonymous

Here here dynamo you are right on the ball! I always check the labels now and am determined to find exactly the REAL source before I buy! Australian consumers need to shop Australian first.

Hi there Shelly47, good to see some is taking notice about what they consume!! I hope that you help spread the word about all I stated to your friends family etc it could make a huge difference here!!! Also be aware of GMO being introduced into our foods very soon they will tell you that they are safe but they are nothing more than poison built in pesticide in the actual seed that studies have shown to cause horrible tumors & cancers in rats!!! Monsanto the giant agro Corp is the biggest threat to humanity bar none!!! The time for awakening is NOW Cheers.

shelly47

Here here dynamo you are right on the ball! I always check the labels now and am determined to find exactly the REAL source before I buy! Australian consumers need to shop Australian first.

Here here dynamo you are right on the ball! I always check the labels now and am determined to find exactly the REAL source before I buy! Australian consumers need to shop Australian first.

Jac421

my partner works for a dairy company and the cream that goes into the home brand bottles is the same as named brand bottles but you pay half the price

Cheran

Do not like a lot of "home Brands"". The product is not sourced in Australia or from Australian growers and the quality in a lot of cases leaves a lot to be desired. Rather pay more for Australian product, grown & manufactured, than foreign rubbish. Supermarkets need to rethink. As for products disappearing from shelves, I think Dick Smith Foods is filling the void nicely on-line or in store (if you can find them) and they are all Australia.

moondie

I either always purchase home brand first, or if the brand name is on special at the same price I will purchase that

Anonymous

yes i have noticed that there are more home brands than name brands in the local supermarkets these days. they are not as good as the name brands if they were they wouldn't be so cheap.

singledad54

Some home brands are quite good, but then others are not of the same quality of the name brands. Sometimes the home brands are made at the same factory as the name brands, but then you also get the cheap imported stuff which can be inferior quality.

Anonymous

Brands I used to get are no longer available, replaced by what I term: Coles Crap.
Cheap and nasty foods from cheap inferior ingredients. I never buy them.

Anonymous

I tend to use name brands, mainly because I buy the same products that I grew up with. I stock up on things when they are on sale though.

Jen

Some products are quite ok from Home Brand ranges. And then there are the ones that are just awful. I find it annoying when you have been buying an item for years and suddenly it is not available at the store, or only stocked intermittently. You find the they have brought out a similar generic item but it is just not the same quality. In the end you just stop buying the product and it becomes a "Treat" when you do see it again. It would be nice if the supermarkets would consider giving us a choice and not try to force their home brands on us. We will make the choice for home brands if Supermarkets make sure they are a comparable item to another product, but please give us the right to choose by leaving the other item also on the shelves!!!

ebbybees

I dont mind some home brands but the original is usually the best

Anonymous

I think it depends.There are some home brands that are good but mostly products nowadays speaks for its price.I do recommend to try some home products and identify which suits your budget...

Anonymous

I would say home brand, no frills etc are the way to go. But, beware as sometimes buying cheap means getting cheap quality!!

marlu

Some brands are okay,I would prefer to buy Austtaliam made ptoducts that keep people in employment.I have also noticed that shops often now put the name brands higher up the shelves so you have no choice but to buy the home brand products.

Kamulgabill

I do think that some homebrand type products are just as good as other, for example cereals, nuts, dried fruits etc. But on the other hand I have found and heard that others just don't cut it like cheap brand female sanitary products, nappies and the like. I do use alot of homebrand products but there will always be certain things I choose the more expensive brand on.

blueposy

yes its a worry that homebrands are replacing a lot of namebrands and yes there are namebrands that I can no longer buy,sometimes the homebrands are better than namebrands other times they are not.Ultimately the consumer is the loser as our freedom of choices are being restricted and dominated and we are being dictated to by the two largest supermarket chains who control the market for self serving purposes.

shelly47

yes its a worry that homebrands are replacing a lot of namebrands and yes there are namebrands that I can no longer buy,sometimes the homebrands are better than namebrands other times they are...

I agree with you blueposy!

Anet

I have always bought name brands and have been happy with them.
my friend was shopping with me one day and said why not try home brands they were just as good. So I tried some different products and was quiet disappointed with the taste and the flavour.
No more home brand products for me.

AuroraMoonbeam

I have always bought name brands and have been happy with them.
my friend was shopping with me one day and said why not try home brands they were just as good. So I tried some different...

Wow - I have found MANY Home Brand products that are just as good...and WHY, if you are NOT happy with them, don't you all just TAKE THEM BACK?? I sure DO!

Anonymous

Home brands are the best! Why?
They are produce here in Aus, well over 80% is.
This gives your friends and their kids jobs.
I favour the taste and quality, not to mention now even the designs of these products is taking a confident step forward.

Keep up the work home brand, I'll keep you in business!
Cheers Mia

Anonymous

I disagree there miamouse, Most of the home brand products are not produced here in Aust at all or they are packed here from imported grown produce or a mixture of Aust and imported goods before...

I agree completely with shelly47. The first time I shopped at Coles, the ratio of Home Brand to Name Brand was about 2:5. However, now I notice that that ratio is more like 4:2. Woollies has a bit more variety and I do like their Macro range, but the reality is that Home Brands are running the Local Brands right out of Australia, not to mention the way they exploit the farmers.

Michelle

I disagree there miamouse, Most of the home brand products are not produced here in Aust at all or they are packed here from imported grown produce or a mixture of Aust and imported goods before...

I have worked in a factory producing cereal, home brand other brands same produce , machines stopped boxes changed and started again .

michb

I disagree there miamouse, Most of the home brand products are not produced here in Aust at all or they are packed here from imported grown produce or a mixture of Aust and imported goods before...

I agree with shelly47. What has happened to consumer choice? I hve found quite a few of the food home brands are not as good as name brands

shelly47

I disagree there miamouse, Most of the home brand products are not produced here in Aust at all or they are packed here from imported grown produce or a mixture of Aust and imported goods before...

I disagree there miamouse, Most of the home brand products are not produced here in Aust at all or they are packed here from imported grown produce or a mixture of Aust and imported goods before they are packed here. READ THE LABELS thoroughly. A lot of the Aust companies have been run off the shelves because of the greed of Coles and Woolworths wanting more of the profits for themselves.They have effectively lessened the choice we as consumers have by pushing these Australian brands out, and replacing them with their own home brand products. They are produced cheaper by cheap overseas labour and are usually an inferior product. If we want the Brands to remain we all must stop buying these HOME BRAND products!

Ned

Yes absolutely. I've been doing two shops instead of one which I find really annoying because my local supermarket is removing the things I like to buy and replacing them with home brand products. Don't get me wrong I use quite a few of the home brand products and I think in most instances they are just as good. The issue for me is, the supermarket I shop in is a smaller store and the shelves are definitely filling up with home brand merchandise. I think the supermarkets should distribute the products more evenly. I've even provided feedback but to no avail. Anyway happy shopping where ever you go.

Anonymous

I think for everyday items, flour, all condiments home brand services its purpose. However, as soon as you deviate from the basic ingredients and start to navigate the jams, breads and in...

Yes DrMDodd- I agree with you. why pay your money out on things such as frozen fish fingers, hamburgers,and things if they only end up going to the cat or dog.

flo

Yes absolutely. I've been doing two shops instead of one which I find really annoying because my local supermarket is removing the things I like to buy and replacing them with home brand products....

I also go to different shops to buy some of my favourite brands. I find that a number of the supermarket brands are of lower quality and more expensive and some of the home brands are better, it's just a matter of trial and erro.

DrMDodd

Yes absolutely. I've been doing two shops instead of one which I find really annoying because my local supermarket is removing the things I like to buy and replacing them with home brand products....

I think for everyday items, flour, all condiments home brand services its purpose. However, as soon as you deviate from the basic ingredients and start to navigate the jams, breads and in particular coffee; cheaper "homebrand"'s are no substitute instead paying more for brands does make a difference. As the old adage goes, you gets what you pay for!

lyjaam

I always buy home brands. I think most of them are just as good as well known brands.

glennwaters

I tend to purchase the homebrand products as I find them just as good as any other product. Sometimes the homebrand products are more expensive than named brands

jjdrer

Yes absolutely. I've been doing two shops instead of one which I find really annoying because my local supermarket is removing the things I like to buy and replacing them with home brand products....

Big names provide promotional / special deals for supermarkets to sell their products cheaper for awhile - often only for 1 or 2 weeks. I worked in the grocery industry for 40 years so I have some knowledge of the reason why and how it happens

Jonda

You are right there you get more for your money.

May be okay to get more for your money, but what about the taste for your money!!!!

Jonda

I tend to purchase the homebrand products as I find them just as good as any other product. Sometimes the homebrand products are more expensive than named brands

Really!! Okay I must make a point to check this out on my next supermarket visit. Thank you, i'll keep this in mind.

Rocky

You are right there you get more for your money.

I am glad you like my response because its true ?????

kath

You are right there you get more for your money.

in this case if the brand name is cheaper why then do u buy the no name one

Anonymous

I tend to purchase the homebrand products as I find them just as good as any other product. Sometimes the homebrand products are more expensive than named brands

I agree..

Anonymous

I tend to purchase the homebrand products as I find them just as good as any other product. Sometimes the homebrand products are more expensive than named brands

if they are more expensive as you say, then i would change where I shop as that was not their main purpose.Also you and Rocky think exactly the same.

Rocky

I tend to purchase the homebrand products as I find them just as good as any other product. Sometimes the homebrand products are more expensive than named brands

You are right there you get more for your money.

Anonymous

I do think tere are more homebrands available. In some things I think they are as good as the branded products. I think they have to be as the supermarkets are promoting them as supporting the local industry in a lot of cases. However I do agree if you haven't tried the hoembrand you can spend a lot of shopping time reading labels and trying to decide if they are good enough to buy.

thadius

I do a majority of my shop at aldis where I found their brands are great. after all home brands are made by international countries for their price. it is very hard to find an aussie made product.

If you check Aldi home brands which is 95% of their stock you will find majority are China i wouldn't shop in Aldi in a fit its rubbish.

aggu

I do a majority of my shop at aldis where I found their brands are great. after all home brands are made by international countries for their price. it is very hard to find an aussie made product.

Yes, I am very much with Geoffie statment.

Jonda

I do a majority of my shop at aldis where I found their brands are great. after all home brands are made by international countries for their price. it is very hard to find an aussie made product.

Hi artickitten, yea, it seems to be the trend of the days to come with home brands flooding the supermarket shelves, but I'm not sure I would agree with you that home brands are as good as the named brands. My personal opinion as to why the home brands are flooding the shelves is more to do with cost-cutting. I don't believe supermarkets have the interests of the consumers as at heart in doing this, rather it is more to benefit them in terms of cost-cutting.
I think they need to put some serious effort into improving and up-grading the QUALITY of their own brands, one eg would be to use if not 100% Australian produce, then at least a sizable amount of it; and improve their labelling in respect to colours on packaging, I mean with something that is quite eye-catching that would draw me to it at first glance ( which can at least relieve the boredom of standing on the aisle reading to see what they're selling me). Personally, I think I will put some serious effort into filling my shopping trolley with home brands once supermarkets take some steps into using locally grown produce and also improve the quality and taste of their own brands.
Having said this, I must give it to Coles that their own Coles brand Ice Cream varieties are really nice, if not better than some of the named brands.

















. If supermarkets were into promoting local industry, why then not use at least a larger portion of (if not totally) Australian grown produce? And please, improve the labelling, in particular colours of packaging etc, rather than the boring, bland white colours and labelling. Give consumers some eye-catching, attractive options to choose from and get drawn to their own brands even if the quality is sub-standard to the named brands. Having said this, I will give Coles a thumbs-up for their own brand ice cream varieties, they are just as good if not better than some of the named brands.

archer

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

I agree shelley even though they have improved over the last few years I would prefer to see a lot more locally made

archer

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

archer

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

I agree with shelly although they have improved over the last few years I also would prefer more products made in australia

del31

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

I do a majority of my shop at aldis where I found their brands are great. after all home brands are made by international countries for their price. it is very hard to find an aussie made product.

Jonda

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

A bit worrying isn't it, when you don't know if there are strict guidelines adhered to by these overseas food companies.
Yes i agree with you 110% that i would much prefer to buy Australian products made with Australian grown produce. However, the reality I'm afraid is that this may be very much a far fetched notion to our food manufacturing industries.

Jonda

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

I think that most home brand labels indicate they are made in Australia with both local and imported products. And just my point Geoffie, it would help if the labelling indicated the percentage of the local product used as against the imported ones.

Jonda

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

I agree that the availability of home brands are beginning to crowd the shelves in our supermarkets, I think this is perhaps a sign of what to expect. As long as their price range is acceptable and reasonable and more importantly the quality and taste is improved to equal that of the brand names, I am okay with it. However, if it is for the purpose of scaling down their costs, I think it will be a great shame.

snakewoman

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

Excellent point shelly... Transport miles should be considered

snakewoman

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

Excellent point shelly... Transport miles should be considered

shelly47

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather buy australian produce, but most of the coles own brand are made elsewhere.

Anonymous

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

Yes you shore do have to check labels as to country of manufacture . I would like to know when they say (Made from local and imported product) what percentage is what.

Anonymous

The problem is however that in most cases you look at the label on the home brand products and you will find they are mostly made overseas in indonesia or even pakistan or turkey! I would rather...

Yes there are more and more home brands now ,as supermarkets wont to introduce up to and possible exceeding 80% of their stores lines to home brands. .Simply to increase their bottom line.

Anonymous

Most home brands are ok but sometimes you get cheap and nasty by selecting home brand over name brand. I think it takes me more time to shop with some many home brands on the shelf because I stop and think before selecting home brand over your tried and tested named brand.i

Ashar

No, Julie, i don't think 'most home brands are ok, rather i think most homebrands are of sub-standard quality. They are cheap because they are either not made in the same manner as the name brands...

I agree with you totally. I might add that most home branded items are imported from overseas.

Venus31233751

Agreed! I buy brand names because homes brand I have heard are not very good quality which I can tell even with the paper towels.

Agree home brand toilet paper quality is very poor as compared to big brand . Prefer to use choose them inspite of high price

Venus31233751

Agreed! I buy brand names because homes brand I have heard are not very good quality which I can tell even with the paper towels.

Agree home brand toilet paper quality is very poor as compared to big brand . Prefer to use choose them inspite of high price

Jen88

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

Agreed! I buy brand names because homes brand I have heard are not very good quality which I can tell even with the paper towels.

Jen88

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

Agreed! I buy brand names because homes brand I have heard are not very good quality which I can tell even with the paper towels.

trix56

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

If you have an Aldi nearby try their toilet paper. 3 ply. I won't buy anything else now

Tay135

fun

Most are actually made in the same place and are the same products in different packaging. Reading the labels will tell you that.

keitho

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

why buy bottled water they probably fill it at the tap and its just as good

keitho

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

coles toilet paper or cling wrap and alfoil, are cheaper

immyk

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

And certain foods. Like canned foods, there is not a lot of difference in taste except for maybe baked beans and spagetti type of foods ( you can really taste the difference in the sauces) but with hone brand versus named brand Frozen foods, i personally find a big difference in taste usually...but sometimes the pennys make the trolley!

Anonymous

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

I think it depends on what the product is. Something like flour, j have seen at the mill, the same flour is put into all the bags - organic, name brands, no brands - all the same flour. But there are lots of things where people can taste or notice the difference. As a uni student I usually go for the cheaper option (like with milk, I can't taste the difference so why would I pick and expensive brand) but other things like eating chocolate, I will stick with brands like lindt and Cadbury because the quality and last are linked with the brand

Mishakal

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

Sometimes it is good. It's really a hit and miss. If it's very very cheap in comparison to the brand name one... Then the store brand one must be really rubbish

mtc

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

I totally agree...I miss the brand name products and some of the no brand named products are no where as good..

Anonymous

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

I agree, there is so much variety these days it is difficult to choose.

mroutdoorsy

I love the select brand of toilet paper from Safeways. The best by far.

yes im the same with home brands in supermarkets I tend to try them out and compare them with branded names. If they taste great and are great value I tend to stick with them and thats why i tend to shop at aldi.
I got sick of coles and woolworths discounting items and competeing with smaller shops who didnt have the buying power and putting them out of business rather than supporting the little guy and making them a part of the big picture. A good example of this is when they put the sushi shop out of business by keeping the same items and discounting them 24 hours a day 7 days a week. they also did this with the local nursery the butcher and the hardware shop as well as fuel banking and insurance.
Very soon it will only be coles and woolworths left unless we have more competition from others.

Anonymous

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

I do like Coles or Woolworths toilet paper and bathroom products. Reading labels is important if one wants to compare to home brand to see the real value also compare size.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

I agree with most of your content.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

I agree you have to give them a go. I don't like home brands in bathroom products. Baby peas sound worth the try as they can be expensive otherwise. I agree pineapple and beetroot are best purchased from good brand names.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

They can be cheap and nasty with higher doses required to get the results.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

Yes I would prefer to look for non home brands that have been reduced and stock up.

Anonymous

I agree with you on the named brand vs home brand comparison, but the product availability is mostly driven by the customer response to the home brand ventures. At certain juncture the home brand...

Yes and sometimes down sized which is a worry.

tony69au

I agree with you on the named brand vs home brand comparison, but the product availability is mostly driven by the customer response to the home brand ventures. At certain juncture the home brand...

fun

tony69au

I agree I look at most of the labels in the supermarket.
And have actually compared products in the supermarket by looking at the labels.

fun

shelly47

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

Yesterday I bought Coles kitchen Paper Towels and I will never buy again! It is so THIN and all the lint comes off when you try to wipe something down.

Jero

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

I agree with you on the named brand vs home brand comparison, but the product availability is mostly driven by the customer response to the home brand ventures. At certain juncture the home brand will have to make product placements in order to promote their own brand over the well known brads and reduce the cost by few cents. Usually customer tend to fall for these tricks.

Anonymous

Yes! a lot of the home brands are okay but not as good as the well known brands. You just have to give them a go. I find to save money, if I use home brand necessities like coles toilet paper or...

Home brand items are the bomb! They are the way to go, they are just as good has any expensive brand, homebrand bleach is better then any other bleach! I do like to get my meat an soft drinks in the expensive brand but for example milk an bread they are cheap simple things you can buy in homebrand

s

I agree JulieA. however taking a little extra time to read labels is a good thing. Sometimes the nutritional details (sugar content and whatnot) can be different. WE should probably all take a...

I agree I look at most of the labels in the supermarket.
And have actually compared products in the supermarket by looking at the labels.

morph42

I agree JulieA. however taking a little extra time to read labels is a good thing. Sometimes the nutritional details (sugar content and whatnot) can be different. WE should probably all take a...

hi JulieA how u doin my name is peter wht u doin

Anonymous

No, Julie, i don't think 'most home brands are ok, rather i think most homebrands are of sub-standard quality. They are cheap because they are either not made in the same manner as the name brands...

Hi Jonda,

Basically, I think Homebrand vs Named Branded items... Well really, theres no difference except for maybe sizing. The quality of the product you receive from (Coles Brand) is exactly the same quality you would be receiving in say Keloggs or LCM Bars or something like that. The quality doesn't differ from the product "branding" at all.

marktime

Because I live near safeway I tend to buy everything there but I must go to Coles and try the toilet paper and foil as I find the safeway one isn't very strong in either product and so buy the...

i am with you regards tin foil even though you might get double the length not much of a bargain if you have to use 3 times as much per item as opposed to major brand name.